Cell cycle gene expression is restored in eutopic primary stromal cells after endometriosis surgery

Abstract

The role of the endometrium in the pathogenesis of endometriosis has assumed prominence. Abnormality of gene and protein expression, apoptosis and changes in cell cycle have been extensively studied in endometriosis. We evaluated the cell cycle genes expression on primary stromal endometrial cells (EC) isolated from eutopic endometrium in two different moments: before and after deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) surgical treatment. We analysed five ECs from healthy patients (group control) and 9 from women with diagnosis of DIE. Were identified 7 cell cycle genes (p53, TFDP1, TFDP2, KPNA2, RB1, RBL2, SERTAD1) differentially expressed between pre, post-operative and controls. The p53 and KPNA2 genes were downregulated 3.34 fold (p = 0.006) and 2.62, (p = 0.042), respectively, in the endometrium of DIE compared to control. Both were upregulated (p53 - Fold 2.22, p = 0.157; KPNA2 - Fold 4.36, p = 0.017) in the post-operative DIE group in comparison to pre-operative one. Also, the RB1 gene was downregulated 9.36 fold (p = 0.029) in the DIE-post group in comparison to DIE-pre group, having no difference between DIE-pre and control group (p = 0.311). The proteins coded by these genes have association between each other, indicating that the surgical treatment could change the cell cycle regulation in the endometrium of women with endometriosis and that the changes remain after the cell isolation from the tissue.