Dela Cruz Cynthia, Vilamil Quesia T, Casalechi Maíra, Rezende Carolina P, Assis Wiviane A, Del Puerto Helen L, Abrão Maurício Simões, Reis Fernando M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Department of Pathology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2022;87(3-4):248-255. doi: 10.1159/000526062. Epub 2022 Jul 19.
Inhibins and their co-receptor betaglycan are members of the transforming growth factor β superfamily, a group of signaling molecules that control the differentiation of human endometrium in the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle.
Since endometriosis is associated with endometrial dysfunction and infertility, this study aimed at evaluating the expression of α-inhibin and betaglycan mRNA and proteins in endometrial samples of infertile women with and without endometriosis.
This was a cross-sectional study. Participants/Materials: Endometrial samples of women with (n = 17) and without (n = 22) endometriosis were subdivided according to the menstrual cycle phase into proliferative and secretory.
University hospital.
We used real-time RT-PCR to quantify mRNA levels and immunohistochemistry to localize the proteins.
α-inhibin mRNA levels were significantly increased in the secretory phase (p < 0.01 vs. proliferative phase) only among women with endometriosis. Conversely, betaglycan mRNA levels were downregulated in the secretory endometrium of controls (p < 0.01 vs. proliferative) but failed to change between cycle phases of patients with endometriosis. Both proteins were present in the glandular epithelium and stroma in the endometrium of women with and without endometriosis. Immunostaining analysis showed that while α-inhibin protein expression did not vary significantly, the intensity of betaglycan immunostaining decreased in the secretory phase in the control group (p = 0.038 vs. proliferative phase) but not in the endometriosis group.
We cannot determine whether endometriosis causes the abnormal expression of α-inhibin and betaglycan in the eutopic endometrium or if this alteration already existed before the establishment of endometriotic lesions.
Our findings suggest an abnormally increased expression of α-inhibin mRNA (not protein) and betaglycan (mRNA and protein) in the secretory-phase endometrium of women with endometriosis.
抑制素及其共受体β-聚糖是转化生长因子β超家族的成员，该超家族是一组信号分子，可控制月经周期分泌期人子宫内膜的分化。
由于子宫内膜异位症与子宫内膜功能障碍和不孕症相关，本研究旨在评估患有和未患有子宫内膜异位症的不孕女性子宫内膜样本中α-抑制素和β-聚糖mRNA及蛋白的表达。
这是一项横断面研究。参与者/材料：患有（n = 17）和未患有（n = 22）子宫内膜异位症的女性的子宫内膜样本根据月经周期阶段分为增殖期和分泌期。
大学医院。
我们使用实时逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）来定量mRNA水平，并使用免疫组织化学来定位蛋白。
仅在患有子宫内膜异位症的女性中，α-抑制素mRNA水平在分泌期显著升高（与增殖期相比，p < 0.01）。相反，对照组分泌期子宫内膜中β-聚糖mRNA水平下调（与增殖期相比，p < 0.01），但在患有子宫内膜异位症的患者的周期阶段之间未发生变化。两种蛋白在患有和未患有子宫内膜异位症的女性的子宫内膜腺上皮和基质中均有表达。免疫染色分析表明，虽然α-抑制素蛋白表达没有显著差异，但对照组分泌期β-聚糖免疫染色强度降低（与增殖期相比，p = 0.038），而在子宫内膜异位症组中未降低。
我们无法确定子宫内膜异位症是否导致在位子宫内膜中α-抑制素和β-聚糖的异常表达，或者这种改变是否在子宫内膜异位病变形成之前就已经存在。
我们的研究结果表明，患有子宫内膜异位症的女性分泌期子宫内膜中α-抑制素mRNA（而非蛋白）和β-聚糖（mRNA和蛋白）表达异常增加。
