Cyr61, a marker of progesterone activity in normal and hyperplasic endometrium of female dogs

Background Cysteine-rich protein 61 (CYR61/CCN1) is a growth factor-inducible gene, involved in the regulation of multiple cellular processes, such as cell adhesion, migration, survival, growth factor-induced mitogenesis, endothelial tubule formation, apoptosis and angiogenesis. In normal women endometrium, CYR61 expression is elevated during the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle, and reduced during the midsecretory phase. However, CYR61 expression is deregulated in endometrium with estrogen dependent diseases, such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometrial hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma.