Single-cell transcriptome analysis reveals endometrial immune microenvironment in minimal/mild endometriosis

Xin Huang, Lukanxuan Wu, Tianjiao Pei, Dong Liu, Chang Liu, Bin Luo, Li Xiao, Yujing Li, Ruiying Wang, Yunwei Ouyang, Huili Zhu, Wei Huang
Clinical and experimental immunology · 2023 · vol. 212(3) , pp. 285–295 · doi:10.1093/cei/uxad029 · PMID:36869723 · W4323066841
article OA: bronze CC0 ⤵ 24 in-corpus citations
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Single-cell RNA sequencing of endometrial cells from endometriosis patients and controls revealed altered immune cell dynamics, cytokine profiles, and impaired epithelial cell function during the window of implantation.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disorder in women of reproductive age due to an abnormal endometrial immune environment and is associated with infertility. This study aimed to systematically understand the endometrial leukocyte types, inflammatory environment, and impaired receptivity at single-cell resolution. We profiled single-cell RNA transcriptomes of 138 057 endometrial cells from endometriosis patients (n = 6) and control (n = 7), respectively, using 10x Genomics platform. We found that one cluster of epithelial cells that expressed PAEP and CXCL14 was mostly from the control during the window of implantation (WOI). This epithelial cell type is absent in the eutopic endometrium during the secretory phase. The proportion of endometrial immune cells decreased in the secretory phase in the control group, whereas the cycle variation of total immune cells, NK cells, and T cells was absent in endometriosis. Endometrial immune cells secreted more IL-10 in the secretory phase than in the proliferative phase in the control group; the opposite trend was observed in endometriosis. Proinflammatory cytokines levels in the endometrial immune cells were higher in endometriosis than in the control group. Trajectory analysis revealed that the secretory phase epithelial cells decreased in endometriosis. Ligand-receptor analysis revealed that 11 ligand-receptor pairs were upregulated between endometrial immune and epithelial cells during WOI. These results provide new insights into the endometrial immune microenvironment and impaired endometrial receptivity in infertile women with minimal/mild endometriosis.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosisinfertility

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Female Female Female Female

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