Increased interleukin-6 messenger RNA expression in macrophage-cocultured endometrial stromal cells in adenomyosis

PROBLEM: To determine the effects of macrophage on endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) in women with adenomyosis. METHOD OF STUDY: Eutopic endometrium was obtained and separated into single ESC in 10 women with adenomyosis (study group) and 11 without adenomyosis (control group). ESCs were then cultured alone or with macrophage for 24 hr. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry identified the presence of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, and IL-10 in ESCs. Real-time quantitative PCR revealed that the IL-6 mRNA was significantly expressed in macrophage-cocultured ESCs in adenomyosis than that in the controls, but was not different in ESCs cultured alone between the two groups. The levels of IL-8 and IL-10 mRNA were similar in ESCs either cultured alone or with macrophage between women with and without adenomyosis. CONCLUSION: IL-6 mRNA was significantly expressed in ESCs after in vitro coculture with macrophage in adenomyosis. This aberrant behavior of ESCs might play a role in the formation of ectopic endometrial implants in adenomyosis.