Abstract: Objective: To investigate the expression of LC3 and VMP1 in eutopic endometrium of endometriosis and normal endometrium and to evaluate the relationship of them. Methods: Specimens were selected from January 2010 to June 2016 in the endometrial tissue of patients treated by Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, detection the expression and relationship of LC3 and VMP1 in eutopic endometrium in 54 cases of patients with ovarian endometriosis and 40 cases of patients without endometriosis by immunohistochemistry, further discuss the relationship of them. Results: ①The positive expression rate of LC3 (22/54, 40.74%) and VMP1 (26/54, 48.15%) in eutopic endometrium of endometriosis was significantly lower than that in normal endometrium (36/40, 90.00%; 32/40, 80.00%), the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05); ②The positive expression rate of LC3 (8/34, 23.53%) and VMP1 (10/34, 29.41%) in stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ endometriosis patients was significantly lower than that in stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ patients (14/20, 70%; 16/20, 80% ); ③The expression of LC3 was not correlated with the expression of VMP1 in eutopic endometrium of endometriosis (P＞0.05). Conclusions: LC3 and VMP1 in eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis are lower and eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis is related to the down-regulation of autophagy.

Key words: Endometriosis, Microtubule-associated proteins, Membrane proteins, Immunohistochemistry