RHOC: A Key Gene for Endometriosis

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RHOC gene expression was found to be increased in endometriotic lesions compared to eutopic endometrium from both endometriosis patients and control women.

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This study investigated whether RHOC gene expression differs between eutopic endometrium and endometriotic lesions in women with endometriosis, using 40 patients with endometriosis and 15 healthy fertile controls. Paired endometrial biopsies from each patient provided eutopic and ectopic (endometriotic) tissues, and RHOC expression was measured by real-time PCR in these autologous tissues and in control endometrium. RHOC expression was increased in endometriotic lesions compared with eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis and compared with control endometrium. The paper’s main caveat is that it primarily reports differential gene expression without mechanistic experiments to establish causality for RHOC in endometriosis. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — it identifies RHOC as a gene with higher expression in endometriotic lesions versus eutopic endometrium.

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Abstract

Considerable efforts have been invested in elucidating the potential mechanisms involved in the physiopathology of endometriosis. The aims of our study were to investigate whether RHOC expression is differentially altered in the endometrium and in endometriotic lesions. A total of 40 patients diagnosed with endometriosis and 15 healthy fertile women were selected for the study. Paired biopsies of endometrial tissue (eutopic endometrium) and endometriotic lesions (ectopic endometrium) were obtained from the patients with endometriosis. Endometrium from women without endometriosis was used as a control. Expression of the RHOC gene was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction in autologous endometrial tissues of women with endometriosis and in the endometrium of control women. Increased RHOC expression was detected in endometriotic lesions compared to the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis and control women. RHOC changes may be among the key elements involved in the origin and the maintenance of endometriosis.
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Abstract

Considerable efforts have been invested in elucidating the potential mechanisms involved in the physiopathology of endometriosis. The aims of our study were to investigate whether RHOC expression is differentially altered in the endometrium and in endometriotic lesions. A total of 40 patients diagnosed with endometriosis and 15 healthy fertile women were selected for the study. Paired biopsies of endometrial tissue (eutopic endometrium) and endometriotic lesions (ectopic endometrium) were obtained from the patients with endometriosis. Endometrium from women without endometriosis was used as a control. Expression of the RHOC gene was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction in autologous endometrial tissues of women with endometriosis and in the endometrium of control women. Increased RHOC expression was detected in endometriotic lesions compared to the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis and control women. RHOC changes may be among the key elements involved in the origin and the maintenance of endometriosis. Similar content being viewed by others

References

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic rho GTP-Binding Proteins Adult Case-Control Studies Endometriosis Endometrium Female Humans rhoC GTP-Binding Protein rho GTP-Binding Proteins RNA, Messenger RNA, Messenger Up-Regulation

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