In the current study, we hypothesized that if bone-marrow derived MSC contribute to endometrial regeneration and are progenitors to hESF, their treatment with agents known to regulate hESF differentiation could promote their differentiation down the stromal fibroblast lineage. To this end, we treated bone marrow-derived MSC with estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4), BMP2, and activators of the PKA pathway and investigated specific markers of hESF differentiation (decidualization). Furthermore, we investigated the transcriptome of these cells in
The bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cell: potential progenitor of the endometrial stromal fibroblast.
Specimen part
View SamplesIdentification of genes involved in trophoblast differentiation is of great interest in understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in placental development and is relevant clinically to fetal development, fertility, and maternal health. To understand, on a global scale, changes in the transcriptome during the differentiation of hESCs down the trophoblast lineage, a large-scale microarray analysis was performed. This work provides an in vitro functional genomic model with which to identify genes involved in trophoblast development.
Transcriptomic signature of trophoblast differentiation in a human embryonic stem cell model.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesThe implantation process begins with attachment of the trophectoderm (TE) of the blastocyst to the maternal endometrial epithelium. Herein we have investigated the transcriptome of mural TE cells from 13 human blastocysts and compared these with those of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived-TE (hESCtroph). The transcriptomes of hESFtroph at days 8, 10, and 12 had the greatest consistency with TE. Among genes coding for secreted proteins of the TE of human blastocysts and of hESCtroph are several molecules known to be involved in the implantation process as well as novel ones, such as CXCL12, HBEGF, inhibin A, DKK3, Wnt 5A, follistatin. The similarities between the two lineages underscore some of the known mechanisms and offer discovery of new mechanisms and players in the process of the very early stages of human implantation. We propose that the hESCtroph is a viable functional model of human trophoblasts to study trophoblast-endometrial interactions. Furthermore, the data derived herein offer the promise of novel diagnostics and therapeutics aimed at practical challenges in human infertility and pregnancy disorders associated with abnormal embryonic implantation.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of human trophectoderm and embryonic stem cell-derived trophoblasts reveal key participants in early implantation.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe contraceptive effectiveness of intrauterine devices has been attributed in part to effects of a foreign body reaction on the endometrium. We performed this study to identify compare the effects on the endometrial transcriptome of intrauterine devices and combined oral contraceptives, to better understand their mechanisms of action. We collected endometrial and cervical biopsies from women using the levonorgestrel-intrauterine device, copper intrauterine device or levonorgestrel-containing combined oral contraceptives, and from women not using contraceptives (control group). Transcriptional profiling was performed with Affymetrix arrays, Principal Component Analysis and the bioconductor package limma. Pathway analysis was performed using EnrichR and Reactome 2016. In endometrial samples from copper intrauterine device users (n=13), there were no genes with statistically significant differential expression compared to controls (n=11), whereas in levonorgestrel-intrauterine device users (n=11), 2509 genes were significantly dysregulated and mapped onto several immune and inflammatory pathways. In combined oral contraceptive users (n=12), 133 genes were significantly dysregulated and mapped predominantly onto pathways involving regulation of metal ions. Both levonorgestrel-intrauterine device and combined oral contraceptive use were associated with significant downregulation of members of the metallothionein gene family. In cervical samples, none of the groups showed statistically significant differential gene expression compared to controls. In conclusion, hormonal and copper intrauterine devices differ significantly in their effects on the endometrial transcriptome, with endometrium from copper intrauterine device users being indistinguishable from luteal phase endometrium. These results suggest that the contraceptive mechanisms of intrauterine devices are unlikely to rely on a common pathway involving a foreign body reaction in the endometrium.
Differential Effects of the Hormonal and Copper Intrauterine Device on the Endometrial Transcriptome.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesThe transition of regularly cycling endometrium from the proliferative or Estrogen-dominant phase of the menstrual cycle to the Progesterone-dominant Early and Mid Secretory phases requires wide-spread changes in gene expression that shift the endometrium from a proliferative capacity to a differentiated 'decidual' phenotype in preparation for implantation. This process appears delayed in women with severe endometriosis, suggestive of a progesterone resistant endometrium in this disease.
Gene expression analysis of endometrium reveals progesterone resistance and candidate susceptibility genes in women with endometriosis.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesIntrinsic abnormalities in transplanted eutopic endometrium are believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of pelvic endometriosis. Herein, we investigated transcriptomic differences in human endometrial stromal fibroblasts (hESF) from women with (hESFendo) versus without (hESFnon-endo) endometriosis, in response to activation of the PKA pathway with 8-Br-cAMP. hESFnon-endo (n=4) and hESFendo (mild endometriosis, n=4) were isolated from eutopic endometrium and treated +/- 0.5mM 8-Br-cAMP for 96 hours. Purified total RNA was subjected to microarray analysis using the whole genome Gene 1.0 ST Affymetrix platform. 733 genes were regulated in cAMP-treated hESFnon-endo versus 172 genes in hESFendo, suggesting a blunted response to cAMP/PKA pathway activation in women with disease. Real-time PCR and ELISA validated the decreased expression of decidualization markers in hESFendo compared to hESFnon-endo. In the absence of disease, 8-Br-cAMP down-regulated progression through the cell-cycle due to a decrease in Cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase 6 and cell division cycle 2, and an increase in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A. However, cell cycle components in hESFendo were not responsive to 8-Br-cAMP, resulting in persistence of a proliferative phenotype. hESFendo treated with 8-Br-cAMP exhibited altered expression of immune response, extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, and apoptosis genes. Changes in phosphodiesterase expression and activity were not different among experimental groups. Thus, eutopic hESF with increased proliferative potential may seed the pelvic cavity via retrograde menstruation and promote establishment, survival, and proliferation of endometriosis lesions, independent of hydrolysis of cAMP and likely due to an inherent abnormality in the PKA pathway in the presence of disease.
The protein kinase A pathway-regulated transcriptome of endometrial stromal fibroblasts reveals compromised differentiation and persistent proliferative potential in endometriosis.
Specimen part, Disease, Treatment
View SamplesEndometriosis, an estrogen-dependent, progesterone-resistant, inflammatory disorder affects 10% of reproductive-age women. It is diagnosed and staged at surgery, resulting in an 11-year latency from symptom onset to diagnosis, underscoring the need for less invasive, less expensive approaches. Since the uterine lining (endometrium) in women with endometriosis has altered molecular profiles, we tested whether molecular classification of this tissue can distinguish and stage disease. We developed classifiers using genomic data from n=148 archived endometrial samples from women with endometriosis or without endometriosis (normal controls or with other common uterine/pelvic pathologies) across the menstrual cycle and evaluated their performance on independent sample sets. Classifiers were trained separately on samples in specific hormonal milieu, using margin tree classification, and accuracies were scored on independent validation samples. Classification of samples from women with endometriosis or no endometriosis involved two binary decisions each based on expression of specific genes. These first distinguished presence or absence of uterine/pelvic pathology and then no endometriosis from endometriosis, with the latter further classified according to severity (minimal/mild or moderate/severe). Best performing classifiers identified endometriosis with 90-100% accuracy, were cycle phase-specific or independent, and utilized relatively few genes to determine disease and severity. Differential gene expression and pathway analyses revealed immune activation, altered steroid and thyroid hormone signaling/metabolism and growth factor signaling in endometrium of women with endometriosis. Similar findings were observed with other disorders versus controls. Thus, classifier analysis of genomic data from endometrium can detect and stage pelvic endometriosis with high accuracy, dependent or independent of hormonal milieu. We propose that limited classifier candidate-genes are of high value in developing diagnostics and identifying therapeutic targets. Discovery of endometrial molecular differences in the presence of endometriosis and other uterine/pelvic pathologies raises the broader biological question of their impact on the steroid hormone response and normal functions of this tissue.
Molecular classification of endometriosis and disease stage using high-dimensional genomic data.
Specimen part
View SamplesEutopic endometrium in endometriosis has molecular evidence of resistance to progesterone (P4) and activation of the PKA pathway in the stromal compartment. To investigate global and temporal responses of eutopic endometrium to P4, we compared early (6-h), intermediate (48-h), and late (14-day) transcriptomes, signaling pathways, and networks of human endometrial stromal fibroblasts (hESFs) from women with endometriosis (hESFendo) to hESFs from women without endometriosis (hESFnonendo). Endometrial biopsy samples were obtained from subjects with and without mild peritoneal endometriosis (n = 4 per group), and hESFs were isolated and treated with P4 (1 M) plus estradiol (E2) (10 nM), E2 alone (10 nM), or vehicle for up to 14 days. Total RNA was subjected to microarray analysis using a Gene 1.0 ST (Affymetrix) platform and analyzed by using bioinformatic algorithms, and data were validated by quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA. Results revealed unique kinetic expression of specific genes and unique pathways, distinct biological and molecular processes, and signaling pathways and networks during the early, intermediate, and late responses to P4 in both hESFnonendo and hESFendo, although a blunted response to P4 was observed in the latter. The normal response of hESF to P4 involves a tightly regulated kinetic cascade involving key components in the P4 receptor and MAPK signaling pathways that results in inhibition of E2-mediated proliferation and eventual differentiation to the decidual phenotype, but this was not established in the hESFendo early response to P4. The abnormal response of this cell type to P4 may contribute to compromised embryonic implantation and infertility in women with endometriosis.
Unique transcriptome, pathways, and networks in the human endometrial fibroblast response to progesterone in endometriosis.
Sex, Specimen part, Disease, Subject
View SamplesAbstract: Objective: Adenomyosis is a clinical disorder defined by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium, the pathogenesis of which is poorly understood. We postulate that dysregulation of genes and pathways in eutopic endometrium may predispose to ectopic implantation. No study, to our knowledge, has examined the global transcriptome of isolated eutopic endometrium from women with clinically significant adenomyosis. Design: Laboratory-based study with full IRB approval and consents. Material and Methods: Endometrial sampling was performed on hysterectomy specimens (proliferative phase) from symptomatic women with pathologically-confirmed diffuse adenomyosis (n=3). Controls (n=5) were normo-ovulatory subjects without adenomyosis. All subjects were free from leiomyoma, endometriosis, and hormonal exposures. Isolated purified total RNA was subjected to microarray analysis using the Gene 1.0 ST Affymetrix platform. Data were analyzed with GeneSpring and Ingenuity Pathway analysis. Validation of several genes was undertaken by QRT-PCR. Results: Comparison of transcriptomes of proliferative endometrium from women with and without adenomyosis revealed 140 up-regulated and 884 down-regulated genes in samples from women with adenomyosis compared to controls. Highly differentially expressed genes include those involved in regulation of apoptopsis, steroid hormone responsiveness, and proteins involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, as well as microRNAs of unknown significance. Affected canonical pathways included eukaryotic initiation factor 2 signaling, oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial dysfunction, estrogen receptor signaling, and mTOR signaling. Conclusions: The eutopic endometrium in patients with adenomyosis has fundamental abnormalities that may predispose to invasion and survival beyond the myometrial interface. Key Words: adenomyosis, endometrium, microarray, microRNA, endometriosis, apoptosis, signaling. Abstract: Objective: Adenomyosis is a clinical disorder defined by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium, the pathogenesis of which is poorly understood. We postulate that dysregulation of genes and pathways in eutopic endometrium may predispose to ectopic implantation. No study, to our knowledge, has examined the global transcriptome of isolated eutopic endometrium from women with clinically significant adenomyosis. Design: Laboratory-based study with full IRB approval and consents. Material and Methods: Endometrial sampling was performed on hysterectomy specimens (proliferative phase) from symptomatic women with pathologically-confirmed diffuse adenomyosis (n=3). Controls (n=5) were normo-ovulatory subjects without adenomyosis. All subjects were free from leiomyoma, endometriosis, and hormonal exposures. Isolated purified total RNA was subjected to microarray analysis using the Gene 1.0 ST Affymetrix platform. Data were analyzed with GeneSpring and Ingenuity Pathway analysis. Validation of several genes was undertaken by QRT-PCR. Results: Comparison of transcriptomes of proliferative endometrium from women with and without adenomyosis revealed 140 up-regulated and 884 down-regulated genes in samples from women with adenomyosis compared to controls. Highly differentially expressed genes include those involved in regulation of apoptopsis, steroid hormone responsiveness, and proteins involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, as well as microRNAs of unknown significance. Affected canonical pathways included eukaryotic initiation factor 2 signaling, oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial dysfunction, estrogen receptor signaling, and mTOR signaling. Conclusions: The eutopic endometrium in patients with adenomyosis has fundamental abnormalities that may predispose to invasion and survival beyond the myometrial interface. Key Words: adenomyosis, endometrium, microarray, microRNA, endometriosis, apoptosis, signaling.
Global Transcriptome Abnormalities of the Eutopic Endometrium From Women With Adenomyosis.
Age, Specimen part, Disease
View SamplesEpidemiological studies indicate that progestin-containing contraceptives may increase susceptibility to HIV and other infections; however, underlying mechanisms involving the upper female reproductive tract are undefined. To determine the effects of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) on gene expression and physiology of the human endometrial and cervical transformation zone (TZ), microarray analyses were performed on whole tissue biopsies. In endometrium, activated pathways included leukocyte chemotaxis, attachment, and inflammation in DMPA (z>2.5) and LNG-IUS (z>3.5) users, and regulation of pattern recognition receptors and other immune mediators. In cervical TZ, progestin treatment altered expression of tissue remodeling and viability genes, but not those of immune functions. Together, these results indicate that progestins influence expression of immune-related genes in endometrium that would be expected to result in the local recruitment of HIV target cells, and thus may increase HIV susceptibility. It is important to consider the upper reproductive tract in the assessment of effects of contraceptives that may influence susceptibility to pathogens, such as HIV.
Progestin-Containing Contraceptives Alter Expression of Host Defense-Related Genes of the Endometrium and Cervix.
Specimen part
View Samples