Nuclear expression of Vitamin D receptor (VDR) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is mutually exclusive in endometrial glandular cells of endometriosis lesions

Viktoria von Schönfeldt, Francesco De Pascali, C Kuhn, Livio Casarini, Manuela Simoni, Sven� Mahner, Udo Jeschke
In: Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde · 2016 · vol. 76(10) · doi:10.1055/s-0036-1593096 · W2531547573
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-07, 2026-07-16 ⓘ

This study investigated the expression of Vitamin D receptor (VDR) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in endometrial glandular cells within endometriosis lesions and found their nuclear expression to be mutually exclusive.

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⚙ AI-generated deep summary by claude@2026-07, 2026-07-16 · read from full text ⓘ

This study analyzed nuclear expression of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in 45 samples of normal endometrium across menstrual cycle phases from premenopausal non-pregnant women and in ectopic endometriosis lesions from 8 patients with ovarian endometriosis. Using immunohistochemistry with anti-VDR and anti-AHR antibodies and semi-quantitative staining intensity analysis, the authors found significantly higher nuclear expression of both receptors in endometriosis lesions than in normal endometrium. They reported a strong inverse correlation between VDR and AHR nuclear expression in lesion glandular cells, with high VDR expression mutually exclusive with low AHR expression (and vice versa), which they interpret as an un-physiological receptor pattern. The paper directly links these receptor expression findings to the biology of endometriosis lesions. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — it focuses on mutually exclusive nuclear VDR and AHR expression in endometrial glandular cells within endometriosis lesions.

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Abstract

Background: VDR and AHR are nuclear receptors, which exert their function through binding with ligands and formation of a molecular complex. These complexes translocate to the nucleus and activate the expression of a series of genes with a responsive element to VDR or AHR. Both receptors have been identified to play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis (EM), a common gynecologic disorder characterized by the formation of endometrial tissues outside the uterine cavity. Despite numerous therapies, there are no resolute cures for endometriosis at the pharmacological level.
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Background

VDR and AHR are nuclear receptors, which exert their function through binding with ligands and formation of a molecular complex. These complexes translocate to the nucleus and activate the expression of a series of genes with a responsive element to VDR or AHR. Both receptors have been identified to play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis (EM), a common gynecologic disorder characterized by the formation of endometrial tissues outside the uterine cavity. Despite numerous therapies, there are no resolute cures for endometriosis at the pharmacological level. Study design: 45 samples of confirmed normal endometrium (NE) of all three phases of the menstrual cycle from premenopausal non-pregnant women and ectopic endometriosis lesions (EC) of 8 patients diagnosed with ovarian endometriosis were analyzed.

Methods

Tissue samples were stained by immunohistochemistry, using anti-VDR and anti-AHR antibodies. Staining intensity was analyzed with a semi-quantitative assay (IRS).

Results

The expression levels of both VDR (p = 0.02) and AHR (p = 0.03) are significantly higher in the nuclei of endometrial glandular cells in EC compared to NE. Additionally, EC displaying a high expression of VDR did not express AHR and vice versa (coefficient of correlation: -0.97, p = 0.007).

Discussion

EC of ovarian origin show an un-physiologically high expression of both VDR and AHR in the nuclei of endometrial glandular cells. However, their expression is also inversely correlated and mutually exclusive: A high expression level of one receptor is accompanied by a low expression level of the other, suggesting a possible target for the treatment of endometriosis.

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endometriosis

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