Laser capture microdissection and cDNA array analysis of endometrium identify CCL16 and CCL21 as epithelial-derived inflammatory mediators associated with endometriosis

Ashwini L Chand, Andrew S Murray, Andrew Murray, Rebecca L Jones, Natalie J Hannan, Lois A Salamonsen, Luk Rombauts
Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E · 2007 · vol. 5(1) , pp. 18 · doi:10.1186/1477-7827-5-18 · PMID:17506907 · PMC1884154 · W2110109352
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

Laser capture microdissection of endometrial epithelium identified elevated CCL16 and CCL21, predominantly gland-derived, in women with endometriosis compared to controls.

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⚙ AI-generated deep summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This study used laser capture microdissection to isolate epithelial glands from mid-secretory phase eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis and controls, followed by chemokine/receptor cDNA array profiling, with confirmation by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. The authors found that, in pooled eutopic endometrial epithelium, 22 chemokine/receptor genes were upregulated and 2 downregulated in endometriosis, and identified CCL16 and CCL21 as epithelial-derived inflammatory mediators with elevated mRNA in some individuals. Immunoreactive CCL16 and CCL21 were predominantly confined to glands in both eutopic and ectopic endometrium, with leukocytes also staining, and CCL16 immunoreactivity was higher in ectopic versus matched eutopic tissue. A key limitation is the small sample size used for the LCM/cDNA array profiling (4 endometriosis and 4 controls), with some findings only confirmed in subsets of individual samples. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — it identifies CCL16 and CCL21 in epithelial glands as candidate chemokines linked to inflammatory processes in endometriosis.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Understanding the pathophysiology of chemokine secretion in endometriosis may offer a novel area of therapeutic intervention. This study aimed to identify chemokines differentially expressed in epithelial glands in eutopic endometrium from normal women and those with endometriosis, and to establish the expression profiles of key chemokines in endometriotic lesions. METHODS: Laser capture microdissection isolated epithelial glands from endometrial eutopic tissue from women with and without endometriosis in the mid-secretory phase of their menstrual cycles. Gene profiling of the excised glands used a human chemokine and receptor cDNA array. Selected chemokines were further examined using real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: 22 chemokine/receptor genes were upregulated and two downregulated in pooled endometrial epithelium of women with endometriosis compared with controls. CCL16 and CCL21 mRNA was confirmed as elevated in some women with endometriosis compared to controls on individual samples. Immunoreactive CCL16 and CCL21 were predominantly confined to glands in eutopic and ectopic endometrium: leukocytes also stained. Immunoreactive CCL16 was overall higher in glands in ectopic vs. eutopic endometrium from the same woman (P < 0.05). Staining for CCL16 and CCL21 was highly correlated in individual tissues. CONCLUSION: This study provides novel candidate molecules and suggests a potential local role for CCL16 and CCL21 as mediators contributing to the inflammatory events associated with endometriosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Chemokines, CC Chemokines, CC Endometriosis Inflammation Mediators Lasers Microdissection Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis Adult Chemokine CCL21 Chemokines, CC Chemokines, CC Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Epithelial Cells Epithelial Cells Epithelial Cells

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Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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