Increased expression of IgE-dependent histamine-releasing factor in endometriotic implants

Characterization of functionally relevant G protein-coupled receptors in endometriotic epithelial cells

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the invasion of endometrial cells outside the uterine cavity. Current treatments for the disease, whose typical symptoms are pain and infertility, are unsatisfactory, relying on the surgical removal of the lesions and hormonal therapies with high symptom relapse and collateral effects, respectively. The aim of the present study was to exploit the rationale for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) as non-hormonal therapeutic targets for this disease. To this end, human endometriotic epithelial cells 12Z were employed to characterize GPCR-mediated increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) using fluo-4, and cell invasion was measured using Boyden chamber assays. The results showed that the GPCR ligands oxytocin, bradykinin, histamine, lysophosphatidic acid, and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) efficiently increased [Ca2+]i and induced cell invasion in endometriotic cells. In contrast, neuropeptide S, previously identified as a pro-invasive mediator, did not increase [Ca2+]i in 12Z cells. Notably, pretreatment with pertussis toxin significantly reduced S1P-dependent [Ca2+]i increase and cell invasion, highlighting the involvement of Gi-mediated signaling. Employing specific agonists and/or antagonists of S1P receptor isoforms, we demonstrated that S1P1/S1P3/S1P5, but not S1P2/S1P4 mediated the [Ca2+]i increases in this cellular model. Moreover, activation of S1P1/S1P4/S1P5, but not S1P2/S1P3, efficiently stimulated cell invasion. Taken together, we identified several GPCRs that are functionally relevant in human endometriotic epithelial cells and may potentially serve as targets for non-hormonal therapy of endometriosis.

Associations between endometriosis and common symptoms: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

BACKGROUND

Endometriosis has been linked to higher rates of a variety of symptoms; however, the findings from longitudinal studies are scarce and inconsistent.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the association between endometriosis and common symptoms in a prospective cohort study.

STUDY DESIGN

This study included 7606 women born from 1973 to 1978 using data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health that were collected every 3 years from 2009 to 2018. We identified women with endometriosis based on self-reported incidence from each survey and linked administrative health data. At each survey, women also completed a checklist on the presence of 24 symptoms. Generalized estimating equations for multinomial responses were used for analyses.

RESULTS

Women with endometriosis had significantly more menstrual symptoms than those without endometriosis with an adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 3.61 (3.11-4.19) for severe period pain, 2.40 (2.10-2.74) for heavy menstrual bleeding, 1.76 (1.52-2.03) for irregular bleeding, and 1.52 (1.32-1.76) for premenstrual tension. They also had higher odds of mental health problems with adjusted odds ratios of 1.67 (1.39-2.01) for depression and 1.59 (1.24-2.03) for anxiety and higher odds of allergies and nonspecific symptoms with adjusted odds of 1.62 (1.40-1.89) for allergies or hay fever or sinusitis, 1.79 (1.56-2.05) for severe tiredness, 1.56 (1.35-1.81) for sleep difficulty, and 1.77 (1.37-2.18) for palpitations. There was also a strong association with other forms of pain with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.76 (1.53-2.04) for backpain, 1.50 (1.29-1.74) for headaches or migraines, and 1.65 (1.41-1.93) for stiff or painful joints. Women with endometriosis also had increased odds of developing bowel and urinary symptoms with an adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.67 (1.35-2.08) for constipation, 1.46 (1.12-1.90) for hemorrhoids or piles, 1.25 (1.03-1.52) for indigestion or heartburn, 2.80 (1.71-4.58) for urine burn or stings, and 1.37 (1.03-1.82) for vaginal discharge or irritation. The association between each symptom and endometriosis was similar whether endometriosis was surgically confirmed or clinically suspected. No association was found between endometriosis and the risk for skin problems, leaking urine, or breathing difficulty.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that women with endometriosis are more likely to report not only menstrual symptoms but are also at an increased risk for mental health problems, other pain symptoms, bowel and urinary symptoms, and nonspecific symptoms, such as severe tiredness and difficulty sleeping.

Impact of allergic diseases on fertility

The incidence of allergic diseases has been increasing in recent decades, and currently, nearly 30% of the European population suffer from some type of allergy. Also, an increasing number of people are suffering from infertility. Both diseases are related to the hormonal and immune systems, which prompts the question as to whether there is a causal relationship between allergic disorders and the reproductive system. The purpose of this review is to evaluate whether there is a link between allergic diseases and infertility, using the available literature.

The G2964A 3'-untranslated region polymorphism of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 gene is associated with endometriosis in South Indian women

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to test whether the signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) gene influences the risk of developing endometriosis.

METHODS

The single-nucleotide polymorphism, G2964A, in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of the STAT6 gene was tested for association in a case-control study of 232 affected women and 210 women with no evidence of disease. All the women were infertile, ascertained from the same infertility clinic and of South Indian origin. The genotype frequencies of this polymorphism were compared using PCR and sequencing analysis.

RESULTS

There were statistically significant differences in the genotype distributions (P = 0.002) and allele frequencies (P = 0.0002) between the cases and controls, according to codominant, dominant and recessive genotype models.

CONCLUSIONS

We report for the first time an association between the STAT6 G2964A 3'-UTR polymorphism and endometriosis in South Indian women. This finding suggests that STAT6 may contribute to disease susceptibility in endometriosis, which carries an extra interest as the gene lies in a region which has been implicated, albeit weakly, in a previous genomewide scan.

Effects of 3-methylcholanthrene on the transcriptional activity and mRNA accumulation of the oncogene hWAPL

hWAPL is a human oncogene associated with uterine cervical cancer. Here, we demonstrate that hWAPL transcription is induced by 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) in the cervical carcinoma-derived cell line SiHa. hWAPL transcription was analyzed with evaluation of the mRNA and heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA) levels by quantitative real time PCR analysis. Flow cytometric analysis suggested that the alteration of hWAPL mRNA levels is independent of cell cycle profile. We also found that DMSO and some components of FBS affect hWAPL transcription. Interestingly, when the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) function was inhibited by alpha-naphthoflavone (ANF), the induction of hWAPL transcription by 3-MC was greater than that in AhR-functioning normal cells. These observations suggest that there are complex mechanisms regulating the transcription of hWAPL. Furthermore, mRNA level of a mouse homolog of hWAPL in mouse uterus was induced by 3-MC injection into the abdominal cavity. Thus, some effects from 3-MC exposure on uterus may be mediated by the unscheduled overexpression of hWAPL.