BackgroundThe etiology and pathophysiology of endometriosis remain unclear. Accumulating evidence suggests that aberrant microRNA (miRNA) and transcription factor (TF) expression may be involved in the pathogenesis and development of endometriosis. This study therefore aims to survey the key miRNAs, TFs and genes and further understand the mechanism of endometriosis.MethodsPaired expression profiling of miRNA and mRNA in ectopic endometria compared with eutopic endometria were determined by high-throughput sequencing techniques in eight patients with ovarian endometriosis. Binary interactions and circuits among the miRNAs, TFs, and corresponding genes were identified by the Pearson correlation coefficients. miRNA-TF-gene regulatory networks were constructed using bioinformatic methods. Eleven selected miRNAs and TFs were validated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in 22 patients.ResultsOverall, 107 differentially expressed miRNAs and 6112 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified by comparing the sequencing of the ectopic endometrium group and the eutopic endometrium group. The miRNA-TF-gene regulatory network consists of 22 miRNAs, 12 TFs and 430 corresponding genes. Specifically, some key regulators from the miR-449 and miR-34b/c cluster, miR-200 family, miR-106a-363 cluster, miR-182/183, FOX family, GATA family, and E2F family as well as CEBPA, SOX9 and HNF4A were suggested to play vital regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.ConclusionIntegration analysis of the miRNA and mRNA expression profiles presents a unique insight into the regulatory network of this enigmatic disorder and possibly provides clues regarding replacement therapy for endometriosis.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12958-017-0319-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background/Aims: Mitochondrial homeostasis is implicated in the development and progression of endometriosis through poorly defined mechanisms. Mst1 is the major growth suppressor related to cancer migration, apoptosis and proliferation. However, whether Mst1 is involved in endometriosis apoptosis and migration via regulating the mitochondrial function remains to be elucidated. Methods: Expression of Mst1 in endometriosis was examined via western blots. Cellular apoptosis was detected via MTT and TUNEL assay. Gain of function assay about Mst1 was conducted via adenovirus over-expression. Mitochondrial functions were evaluated via mitochondrial membrane potential JC-1 staining, ROS flow cytometry analysis, mPTP opening assessment and immunofluorescence of HtrA2/Omi. The mitophagy activity were examined via western blots and immunofluorescence. Results: First, we found that Mst1 was significantly downregulated in the ectopic endometrium of endometriosis compared to the normal endometrium. However, the recovery of Mst1 function was closely associated with the inability of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) to migrate and survive. A functional study indicated that regaining Mst1 enhanced Drp1 post-transcriptional phosphorylation at Ser616 and repressed Parkin transcription activity via p53, leading to mitochondrial fission activation and mitophagy inhibition. Excessive Drp1-related fission forced the mitochondria to liberate HtrA2/Omi into the cytoplasm. Moreover, Mst1-induced defective mitophagy evoked cellular

Classification of ovarian cancer by morphologic features has a limited effect on serous ovarian cancer (SOC) treatment and prognosis. Here, we proposed a new system for SOC subtyping based on the molecular categories from the Cancer Genome Atlas project. We analyzed the DNA methylation, protein, microRNA, and gene expression of 1203 samples from 599 serous ovarian cancer patients. These samples were divided into nine subtypes based on RNA-seq data, and each subtype was found to be associated with the activation and/or suppression of the following four biological processes: immunoactivity, hormone metabolic, mesenchymal development and the MAPK signaling pathway. We also identified four DNA methylation, two protein expression, six microRNA sequencing and four pathway subtypes. By integrating the subtyping results across different omics platforms, we found that most RNA-seq subtypes overlapped with one or two subtypes from other omics data. Our study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of SOC and provides a new perspective for the more accurate stratification of its subtypes.

The goal of this work was to investigate the tumor mutational burden (TMB) in Chinese patients with gynecologic cancer. In total, 117 patients with gynecologic cancers were included in this study. Both tumor DNA and paired blood cell genomic DNA were isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens and blood samples, and next-generation sequencing was performed to identify somatic mutations. TP53, PTEN, ARID1A, and PIK3CA alterations were significantly different in various types of gynecologic cancers (p = 0.001, 1.15E-07, 0.004, and 0.009, respectively). The median TMB of all 117 gynecologic tumor specimens was 0.37 mutations/Mb, with a range of 0–41.45 mutations/Mb. Despite the lack of significant difference, endometrial cancer cases had a higher median TMB than cervical and ovarian cancer cases. Younger gynecologic cancer patients (age <40 years) had a significantly lower TMB than older patients (age ≥40 years) (p = 0.04). In addition, TMB was significantly increased with increasing clinical stage of disease (p = 0.001). PTEN alterations were commonly observed in patients with a moderate to high TMB (n = 8, 38.10%, p = 9.95E-04). Although limited by sample size, all of the patients with TSC2 (n = 3, p = 3.83E-11) or POLE (n = 2, p = 0.005) mutations had a moderate to high TMB. Further large-scale, prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.

The etiology and pathophysiology of endometriosis remain unclear. The aim of the current study was to identify a candidate pathogenic gene, as well as potential biomarkers of endometriosis using messenger RNA (mRNA) sequencing (mRNA-seq). Twenty-three eutopic endometria from women with endometriosis and 20 endometria from control subjects were investigated. Eight eutopic endometria and five normal endometria were selected for mRNA-seq. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and functional analysis was conducted. Validation of certain DEGs was performed in the remaining cases and control subjects by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). A total of 72 DEGs (66 upregulated and 6 downregulated) were identified in samples from women with endometriosis and compared with the control subjects. High DEGs included those involved in various functions, such as extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, angiogenesis, cell proliferation and differentiation. Enriched by these DEGs, 100 Gene Ontology terms were identified as significantly important, particularly ‘ECM’ and ‘endogenous stimulus’. Validation using RT-qPCR indicated that matrix metallopeptidase 11, dual specificity phosphatase 1, Fos proto-oncogeneand serpin family E member 1 were significantly upregulated and adenosine deaminase 2 was significantly downregulated in the eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis. The identified DEGs may be involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and may be potential biomarkers in the eutopic endometrium. The current study provides a comprehensive, but preliminary insight for elucidating the mechanisms of endometriosis, which require further in-depth studies for confirmation.

BackgroundInhibitor of differentiation 2 (Id2) is a critical factor for cell proliferation and differentiation in normal vertebrate development. Most of the biological function of Id2 has been ascribed to its helix-loop-helix motif. Overexpression of Id2 is frequently observed in various human tumors, but its role for invasion potential in tumor cells is dispute. We aimed to reveal the role of Id2 in invasion potential in poorly invasive and estrogen receptor α (ERα)-positive MCF-7 and SKOV-3 cancer cells.MethodsMCF-7 and SKOV-3 cells were stably transfected with the wild-type, degradation-resistant full-length or helix-loop-helix (HLH)-deleted Id2, respectively. Protein levels of Id2 and its mutants and E-cadherin were determined by western blot analysis and mRNA levels of Id2 and its mutants were determined by RT-PCR. The effects of Id2 and its mutants on cell proliferation were determined by [3H]-thymidine incorporation assay and the 3- [4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) dye method. The in vitro invasion potential of cells was evaluated by Transwell assay. Cell motility was assessed by scratch wound assay. The promoter activity of E-cadherin was determined by cotransfection and luciferase assays.ResultsEctopic transfection of the wild-type Id2 markedly increased the protein and mRNA expression of Id2 in MCF-7 and SKOV-3 cells; the protein level but not mRNA level was further increased by transfection with the degradation-resistant Id2 form. The ectopic expression of Id2 or its mutants did not alter proliferation of either MCF-7 or SKOV-3 cells. Transfection of the wild-type Id2 significantly induced the invasion potential and migratory capacity of cells, which was further augmented by transfection with the degradation-resistant full-length or HLH-deleted Id2. E-cadherin protein expression and transactivation of the proximal E-cadherin promoter were markedly suppressed by the degradation-resistant full-length or HLH-deleted Id2 but not wild-type Id2. Ectopic expression of E-cadherin in MCF-7 and SKOV-3 cells only partially blunted the invasion potential induced by the degradation-resistant HLH-deleted Id2.ConclusionOverexpression of Id2 in ERα-positive epithelial tumor cells indeed increases the cells' invasive potential through a novel mechanism independent of dimerization to basic helix-loop-helix factors. E-cadherin contributes only in part to Id2-induced cell invasion when Id2 is accumulated to a higher level in some specific cell types.

The goal of this work was to investigate the tumor mutational burden (TMB) in Chinese patients with gynecologic cancer. In total, 117 patients with gynecologic cancers were included in this study. Both tumor DNA and paired blood cell genomic DNA were isolated from formalin-fixed paraffinembedded (FFPE) specimens and blood samples, and next-generation sequencing was performed to identify somatic mutations. TP53, PTEN, ARID1A, and PIK3CA alterations were significantly different in various types of gynecologic cancers (p = 0.001, 1.15E-07, 0.004, and 0.009, respectively). The median TMB of all 117 gynecologic tumor specimens was 0.37 mutations/Mb, with a range of 0-41.45 mutations/Mb. Despite the lack of significant difference, endometrial cancer cases had a higher median TMB than cervical and ovarian cancer cases. Younger gynecologic cancer patients (age <40 years) had a significantly lower TMB than older patients (age ≥40 years) (p = 0.04). In addition, TMB was significantly increased with increasing clinical stage of disease (p = 0.001). PTEN alterations were commonly observed in patients with a moderate to high TMB (n = 8, 38.10%, p = 9.95E-04). Although limited by sample size, all of the patients with TSC2 (n = 3, p = 3.83E-11) or POLE (n = 2, p = 0.005) mutations had a moderate to high TMB. Further large-scale, prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.

The PvuII (C > T), XbaI (A > G) and (TA)n polymorphisms of ESR1 gene are potentially associated with susceptibility to endometriosis. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate comprehensively the associations between endometriosis and ESR1 polymorphisms. Twenty-four studies, including 2740 cases and 3208 controls, were retrieved through searches of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CBM and CNKI. Meta-analyses showed that PvuII was associated with endometriosis only for stage I-III, only under a recessive model (OR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.21; P = 0.025). The short allele and TA13 of (TA)n were associated with a higher risk of endometriosis (ORS = 1.71, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.81, P = 0.046; ORTA13 = 1.45, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.97, PTA13 = 0.019); TA20 repeats was associated with a lower risk (OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.80; P = 0.012). No statistically significant association was found in the XbaI polymorphism. This meta-analysis indicated that the PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms were not associated with the risk of endometriosis, whereas stage classification of endometriosis was likely to influence the association of PvuII polymorphism. The (TA)n polymorphisms might play roles in the susceptibility to, or protection against, the pathogenesis of endometriosis.