HLA-G is expressed by the glandular epithelium of peritoneal endometriosis but not in eutopic endometrium

B F Barrier, Breton F. Barrier, Brian Kendall, B S Kendall, C E Ryan, Chenin Ryan, Kathy L. Sharpe-Timms, K L Sharpe-Timms
Human Reproduction · 2005 · vol. 21(4) , pp. 864–869 · doi:10.1093/humrep/dei408 · PMID:16311290 · W2013255457
article OA: bronze CC0 ⤵ 33 in-corpus citations
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HLA-G protein and gene transcript are expressed in the glandular epithelium of peritoneal endometriosis but not in eutopic endometrium.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: HLA-G is a major histocompatability antigen with documented immune-regulatory function. Various epithelial cancers and tissue allografts have been noted to express HLA-G, which is postulated to aid in their escape from immunosurveillance. We evaluated peritoneal endometriosis and eutopic endometrium for the expression of HLA-G protein and gene transcript. METHODS: Two experiments were performed: (i) archived tissue blocks from peritoneal endometriotic lesions (n = 15) and eutopic endometrium (n = 12) were evaluated for extent of protein immunostaining, and (ii) eutopic endometrial biopsies from women without (n = 17) and with (n = 24) endometriosis, and peritoneal endometriotic lesions (n = 14) were evaluated for presence of RNA transcript by in situ hybridization. RESULTS: HLA-G protein localized in the glandular epithelium of 14 of 15 (93.3%) peritoneal endometriotic lesions, but not in stromal cells. HLA-G protein staining was absent in endometrial biopsies (n = 12). HLA-G gene transcript localized to the glandular epithelium in 13 of 14 (92.8%) peritoneal endometriotic lesions. HLA-G transcript was never observed in eutopic endometrium, regardless of cycle stage or whether from women with (n = 24) or without (n = 18) endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS: HLA-G is expressed by endometriotic glandular epithelium but not by eutopic endometrium under normal conditions. Differential expression of HLA-G suggests that peritoneal inflammation or cellular stress may up-regulate mechanisms to promote ectopic endometrial survival.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometrium Histocompatibility Antigens Class I HLA Antigens Peritoneal Diseases Biopsy Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Epithelium Epithelium Epithelium Female Histocompatibility Antigens Class I Histocompatibility Antigens Class I HLA Antigens HLA Antigens HLA-G Antigens Humans

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