Activity of chaperones in the endometrium in chronic alcoholism

Abstract

Alcohol abuse among Ukrainian women has been a medical and social problem for a long time. The pathogenesis of changes in the endometrium has not been established. Heat shock proteins (Hsp) appear to be one of the promising factors from the point of view of detecting early tissue transformations. The main function of these proteins is in the adaptive response to stress factors arising in the process of inflammation. The aim of our study was to determine the activity of heat shock proteins in the endometrium of women suffering from chronic alcoholism. Two groups of 25 cases of deceased women of reproductive age 20–40 years, with an autopsy performed were formed: a group with verified chronic alcoholism (based on catamnesis data and the presence of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver) and a comparison group (women who died from accidental causes and not showing signs of alcoholism). As a result of the conducted immunohistochemical study, it was found that the content of Hsp90 in the tissues of the cervix is characterized by cytoplasmic and nuclear localization in different ratios. Positively stained structures are present both in the lamina propria of the mucous membrane and in the epithelium of the cervix. The degree of severity of the reaction in the group of dead women with chronic alcoholism was estimated as (1.73±0.11) according for Hsp70 and (1.61±0.17) for Hsp90. In the intact group, these indicators were (1.14±0.13) for Hsp70 (p<0.05) and (0.77±0.06) for Hsp90 (p<0.05). Keywords: Hsp70, Hsp90, transformation, uterus, chronic alcohol abuse.