Abstract: Objective To explore the differences of expressions of sirtuin1 (SIRT1), sirtuin2 (SIRT2) and interleukin - 37 (IL-37) in normal endometrium and ectopic endometrium. Methods Endometrial specimens were collected in 30 patients with endometriosis and 30 without endometriosis. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect expressions of SIRT1, SIRT2 and IL-37 proteins. Results The positive expression rates of SIRT1, SIRT2 and IL-37 proteins in ectopic endometrium were 33.0%, 20.0% and 36.7% respectively, which were significantly lower than those of normal endometrial tissues (SIRT1 90%, SIRT2 86.7%, IL-37 86.7%, P＜0.05). There were no significant differences in expresssions of SIRT1, SIRT2 and IL-37 in endometrium between different menstrual cycles (P＞0.05). Conclusion The results suggest that the expression levels of SIRT1, SIRT2 and IL-37 in ectopic endometrium are low, suggesting that there may be inflammatory reaction in ectopic endometrium in patients with endometriosis.

Key words: endometriosis, inflammation, SIRT1, SIRT2, IL-37, immunohistochemistry