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This study investigated basement membrane integrity and stem/progenitor cell marker expression in eutopic endometrium from fertile controls, post-menopausal women, and patients with endometriosis or endometrial cancer, finding BM alterations and loss of cyclical stem cell marker expression in endometriosis.
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The thesis investigated whether alterations in endometrial basement membrane (BM) integrity are associated with changes in stem/progenitor cell marker expression in eutopic endometrium from fertile controls across the menstrual cycle, post-menopausal women, and women with endometriosis (alongside a cancer group for comparison). Using immunohistochemistry, the study assessed BM components (collagen IV and laminin) and stem/progenitor markers (CK5/6, PODXL, and SSEA1), and found that BM component expression tracked with SSEA1 and PODXL dynamics in fertile controls, while cyclical changes in CK5/6 were not observed; in post-menopausal tissue, some vessel-supporting BM differences were noted but PODXL and SSEA1 resembled controls. In the endometrial cancer group, complete BM disruption provided confirmatory results for BM breakdown in invasive disease, whereas in the endometriosis group, eutopic endometrium showed differences in key BM components and a loss of the phase-dependent SSEA1 expression seen in fertile controls. This paper is centrally about endometriosis—specifically how altered eutopic endometrial BM integrity relates to differential expression of stem/progenitor markers (including SSEA1 and PODXL) in endometriosis.
Abstract
Alterations of Endometrial Basement Membrane Integrity and Stem/Progenitor Cell Markers in Endometriosis Palial, K; Drury, J, Heathcote, L, Valentijin, A.J, Gazvani, R, Rudland, P.S. and Hapangama, D.K. Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom, L8 7SS. School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom, L69 7ZB Degradation of basement membrane (BM) is reported to be involved in the metastatic process of cancers, and has been shown to be aberrantly expressed in the benign metastatic disease of endometriosis. Emerging evidence show endometrial stem/progenitor cells are involved in endometrial physiology and in certain endometrial pathological conditions, however markers for these cells are lacking. We tested a panel of stem cell markers including cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6) and podocalyxin-like protein (PODXL) and stage specific embryonic antigen 1 (SSEA1) in endometrial tissue. Using immunohistochemistry, we aim to investigate if an alteration of BM integrity is associated with differential expression of these stem cell markers in eutopic endometrium collected from fertile controls, post-menopausal (PM) women and patients with endometriosis and endometrial cancer. 1. In the fertile control group, expression of BM components, Collagen IV and laminin, changed across the menstrual cycle and some of these changes agree with previously reported findings. Expression of stem cell markers SSEA1 and PODXL also showed similar changes across the menstrual cycle with both having maximal expression during the ProlP. Expression of BM components appeared to be correlated with stem cell markers. No cyclical changes in CK5/6 were reported in fertile controls. 2. In the PM group a few differences were seen in BL integrity compared with the fertile control group, especially in BM supporting endometrial vessels. Nonetheless, PODXL and SSEA1 expression was similar to the fertile control group. 3. Complete disruption of BM in the endometrial cancer group provided confirmatory results that BM is disruption in this invasive metastatic disease. 4. In the endometriosis group, differences were seen in the expression of the key BM components in eutopic endometrium sampled from women with endometriosis when compared with fertile controls, and this was similar to previous reported findings. Whereas SSEA1 showed a phase dependent expression in the fertile control group, this was lost in the endometriosis group.
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Palial, Kanchan
Alterations of endometrial basement membrane integrity and stem/progenitor cell markers in endometriosis
Master of Philosophy thesis, University of Liverpool.
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PDF (Alterations of Endometrial Basement Membrane Integrity and Stem/Progenitor Cell Markers in Endometriosis)
PalialKK_Aug2011_5313.pdf - Author Accepted Manuscript Available under License Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives. Download (14MB) |
Abstract
Alterations of Endometrial Basement Membrane Integrity and Stem/Progenitor Cell Markers in Endometriosis Palial, K; Drury, J, Heathcote, L, Valentijin, A.J, Gazvani, R, Rudland, P.S. and Hapangama, D.K. Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom, L8 7SS. School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom, L69 7ZB Degradation of basement membrane (BM) is reported to be involved in the metastatic process of cancers, and has been shown to be aberrantly expressed in the benign metastatic disease of endometriosis. Emerging evidence show endometrial stem/progenitor cells are involved in endometrial physiology and in certain endometrial pathological conditions, however markers for these cells are lacking. We tested a panel of stem cell markers including cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6) and podocalyxin-like protein (PODXL) and stage specific embryonic antigen 1 (SSEA1) in endometrial tissue. Using immunohistochemistry, we aim to investigate if an alteration of BM integrity is associated with differential expression of these stem cell markers in eutopic endometrium collected from fertile controls, post-menopausal (PM) women and patients with endometriosis and endometrial cancer. 1. In the fertile control group, expression of BM components, Collagen IV and laminin, changed across the menstrual cycle and some of these changes agree with previously reported findings. Expression of stem cell markers SSEA1 and PODXL also showed similar changes across the menstrual cycle with both having maximal expression during the ProlP. Expression of BM components appeared to be correlated with stem cell markers. No cyclical changes in CK5/6 were reported in fertile controls. 2. In the PM group a few differences were seen in BL integrity compared with the fertile control group, especially in BM supporting endometrial vessels. Nonetheless, PODXL and SSEA1 expression was similar to the fertile control group. 3. Complete disruption of BM in the endometrial cancer group provided confirmatory results that BM is disruption in this invasive metastatic disease. 4. In the endometriosis group, differences were seen in the expression of the key BM components in eutopic endometrium sampled from women with endometriosis when compared with fertile controls, and this was similar to previous reported findings. Whereas SSEA1 showed a phase dependent expression in the fertile control group, this was lost in the endometriosis group.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master of Philosophy) |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Date: 2011-08 (completed) |
| Subjects: | ?? R1 ?? ?? RL ?? |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health & Life Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 07 Aug 2012 10:40 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Dec 2022 04:36 |
| DOI: | 10.17638/00005313 |
| Supervisors: |
- Hapangama, Dharani ORCID: 0000-0003-0270-0150
- Gazvani, Rafet
- Rudland, Philip
|
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/5313 |
| Disclaimer: | The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate. |
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