Eutopic endometrial interleukin-18 system mRNA and protein expression at the level of endometrial-myometrial interface in adenomyosis patients

Hong-Yuan Huang, Huang HY, Hsing-Tse Yu, Yu HT, She-Hung Chan, She‐Hung Chan, Chan SH, Lee CL, Chyi-Long Lee, Chyi‐Long Lee, Hsin‐Shih Wang, Wang HS, Hsin-Shih Wang, Soong YK, Yung-Kuei Soong, Yung‐Kuei Soong
Fertility and sterility · 2009 · vol. 94(1) , pp. 33–39 · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.01.132 · PMID:19394601 · W2001991199
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This study investigated the expression of interleukin-18 system mRNA and protein at the endometrial-myometrial interface in women with adenomyosis.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the eutopic endometrial interleukin-18 (IL-18) system including interleukin-18 (IL-18), IL-18 receptor (IL-18R), and IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP), mRNA, and protein expression in patients with adenomyosis. DESIGN: A clinical and molecular study. SETTING: Clinical and academic research setting in a university medical center. PATIENT(S): Twenty-eight samples of human eutopic endometria were obtained from surgical specimens of normal cycling women undergoing hysterectomy for uterine adenomyosis (n = 19); the control group (n = 9) was women undergoing hysterectomy for benign reason including uterine fibroids. INTERVENTION(S): Quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction (QC PCR) and immunohistochemistry studies were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT(S): The differences of the IL-18 system mRNA and the ratio of IL-18BP to IL-18 in the eutopic endometrium of uterine adenomyosis and control group were analyzed. RESULT(S): IL-18 system mRNA and protein expression was demonstrated in the eutopic endometrium of both adenomyosis and control women. Quantitative competitive PCR demonstrated that endometrial IL-18R mRNA and the ratio of IL-18BP to IL-18 were significantly increased in adenomyosis patients in comparison to the control group. Pearson's correlation showed a significant correlation between IL-18 and IL-18R in the eutopic endometrium of women with uterine adenomyosis, but not the control group. CONCLUSION(S): The expression of the eutopic endometrial IL-18 system and the ratio of antagonist to agonist at the level of the endometrial-myometrial interface (EMI) may possibly be responsible for the pathologic process of adenomyosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosisadenomyosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometrium Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins Interleukin-18 Myometrium Receptors, Interleukin-18 Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Female Female Humans Humans Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins

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