Influence of interleukin-8 polymorphism on endometriosis-related pelvic pain

Evaluation of clinical impact of Interleukin 8 gene expression in patients with fibromyalgia

BACKGROUND

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a musculoskeletal syndrome characterized by diffuse and chronic pain associated with other symptoms such as fatigue, sleep/cognition disorders, headache, depression and anxiety, resulting from a change in pain processing. Previous research has shown an increase in some interleukins (IL) in patients with FM when compared to controls, however, there is still no uniformity and consensus in the results. There is no study that evaluates IL8 mRNA expression in FM and its association with obesity and other clinical parameters. This study aims to verify the impact of IL8 mRNA expression on the clinical parameters of patients with FM (FMG) in relation to the comparison group (CG).

METHOD

This study evaluated patients diagnosed with FM treated at the rheumatology service of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Pernambuco (HC-UFPE). The CG group was composed of individuals without chronic pain (companions of the patients and hospital employees). Clinical and demographic data were collected in both groups, and questionnaires for fatigue (FACIT-F), impact of FM (FIQ-R), depression (BDI), and sleep (NRS) were applied to both groups. Peripheral blood was collected for evaluation of IL8 gene expression through real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

RESULTS

Patients with FM show a lower frequency of IL8 gene expression compared to the CG, but FMG presented mainly up regulated in relation to CG. There was no association of IL8 expression and worse FIQ-R indices, sleep disturbance, BMI or fatigue. However, there was an association between IL8 expression and moderate depression (p = 0.002) and physical activity (p = 0.039), where patients in FMG who did express IL8 were practicing less physical activity.

CONCLUSION

Patients in FMG did not have a higher frequency of IL8 expression compared to CG, however patients with IL8 expression have a greater association with moderate depression.

IGF2BP1 promotes endometriosis by enhancing m6A modification stability of HMGB1

BACKGROUND

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition afflicting women of reproductive age. Our study aims to clarify the function and mechanism of insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) and high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) in endometriosis.

METHODS

HMGB1 and various N6-methyladenosine (m6A) reader protein levels were assessed in normal, eutopic, and ectopic endometrial tissue, and a correlation analysis was conducted. The impact of IGF2BP1 knockdown on endometriosis was assessed both in vivo in rat models and in vitro in ectopic endometrial stromal cells (eESCs) using methods such as immunoblotting and mRNA quantification. The binding of IGF2BP1 to HMGB1 mRNA in eESCs was assessed using RIP-PCR. Following transfection with sh-IGF2BP1 and oe-HMGB1, the expression of IGF2BP1 and HMGB1, as well as cell proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities, were measured in eESCs.

RESULTS

In ectopic endometrial tissue, IGF2BP1 and HMGB1 were elevated and positively correlated. Inhibition of IGF2BP1 reduced eESC proliferation, migration, invasion, and glucose intake. Meanwhile, HMGB1, PKM2, and HK2 expression were depressed. In vivo, results were consistent with in vitro. Additionally, in vivo experiments confirmed that inhibition of IGF2BP1 resulted in reduced ectopic endometrial lesion spherical volume, weight, and interstitial lesions. IGF2BP1 bound to HMGB1 mRNA and enhanced its stability by m6A modification. Conversely, when IGF2BP1 was knocked down and HMGB1 was overexpressed, the results were opposite to those observed previously.

CONCLUSION

IGF2BP1 promotes endometriosis progression by enhancing m6A modification stability of HMGB1. This study provides a theoretical basis for identifying therapeutic targets for endometriosis.

Association of Four Interleukin-8 Polymorphisms (-251 A>T, +781 C>T, +1633 C>T, +2767 A>T) with Ovarian Cancer Risk: Focus on Menopausal Status and Endometriosis-Related Subtypes

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is involved in the regulation of inflammatory processes and carcinogenesis. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the IL-8 gene have been shown to alter the risks of lung, gastric, or hepatocellular carcinomas. To date, only one study examined the role of IL-8 SNPs in ovarian cancer (OC), suggesting an association between two IL-8 SNPs and OC risk. In this study, we investigated four common IL-8 SNPs, rs4073 (-251 A>T), rs2227306 (+781 C>T), rs2227543 (+1633 C>T), and rs1126647 (+2767 A>T), using the restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Our study included a cohort of 413 women of Central European descent, consisting of 200 OC patients and 213 healthy controls. The most common (73.5%) histological type was high-grade serous OC (HGSOC), whereas 28/200 (14%) patients had endometriosis-related (clear cell or endometrioid) OC subtypes (EROC). In postmenopausal women, three of the four investigated SNPs, rs4073 (-251 A>T), rs2227306 (+781 C>T), and rs2227543 (+1633 C>T), were associated with OC risk. Furthermore, we are the first to report a significant relationship between the T allele or TT genotype of SNP rs1126647 (+2767 A>T) and the EROC subtype (p = 0.02 in the co-dominant model). The TT homozygotes were found more than twice as often in EROC compared to other OC subtypes (39% vs. 19%, p = 0.015). None of the examined SNPs appeared to influence OC risk in premenopausal women, nor were they associated with the aggressive HGSOC subtype or the stage of disease at the initial diagnosis.