MACROGLOBULIN PROTEINS IN ADENOMYOSIS AND UTERINE LEIOMYOMA

Abstract

We studied blood contents of alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2-MG), pregnancy-associated alpha2-glycoprotein (PAG), and their immune complexes with IgG in healthy female controls, as well as in women with adenomyosis, females with uterine myoma (with or without proliferation), and in cases of a leiomyoma combined with adenomyosis. We found that the most pronounced reduction in α2-MG concentrations was observed in leiomyoma, but they were not decreased in a combination of myoma/ adenomyosis. The PAG levels, a known proliferation marker, have been shown to be increased only in the combined disorder. The amounts of immune complexes (α2-MG/IgG and PAG-IgG) were more significantly increased in leiomyoma complicated by adenomyosis. Correlative interrelationships between the studied parameters differed between normal and pathological conditions. Given that α2-MG and PAG are immunoregulatory proteins being actively involved in proliferative and inflammatory processes, we may assume that they participate in pathogenesis of immune-related uterine diseases, and, especially, in combined disorders.

Keywords

• alpha-2-macroglobulin
• pregnancy associated alpha-2-glycoprotein
• immune complexes
• adenomyosis
• myoma
• proliferation