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Zipponi M, Cacciottola L, Dolmans MM. Overview of crosstalk between stromal and epithelial cells in the pathogenesis of adenomyosis and shared features with deep endometriotic nodules. Hum Reprod 2024:deae116. [PMID: 38885960 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deae116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the first description of adenomyosis more than 150 years ago, multiple hypotheses have attempted to explain its pathogenesis. Indeed, research over recent years has greatly enhanced our knowledge of the underlying causes. This has opened up avenues for the development of strategies for both disease prevention and treatment of its main symptoms, such as pelvic pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, and infertility. However, the current means are still largely ineffective, so it is vital that we shed light on the pathways involved. Dysregulated mechanisms and aberrant protein expression have been identified as contributing factors in interactions between endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, ultimately leading to the growth of adenomyotic lesions. These include collective cell migration, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, hormonal influence, and signaling from non-coding RNAs and extracellular vesicles. We provide a concise summary of the latest insights into the crosstalk between glands and stroma in ectopic adenomyotic lesion formation. While there is an abundance of literature on similarities between adenomyosis and deep endometriosis, there are insufficient data on the cytochemical, molecular, and pathogenetic mechanisms of these two disorders. However, various shared features, including alterations of cell adhesion molecules, abnormal hormone regulation, and the presence of cancer-driving mutations and epigenetic modifications, have been identified. Nevertheless, the pathogenic mechanisms that contribute to the cause and development of these enigmatic diseases have not been fully elucidated yet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Zipponi
- Pôle de Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luciana Cacciottola
- Pôle de Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie-Madeleine Dolmans
- Pôle de Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Gynecology Department, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
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Qiu Y, Cao J, Li S, Liu Y, Wan G, Gui T. Macrophage polarization in adenomyosis: A review. Am J Reprod Immunol 2024; 91:e13841. [PMID: 38606715 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Adenomyosis (AM) is a common gynecological disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma within the uterine myometrium. It is associated with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), dysmenorrhea, and infertility. Although several mechanisms have been proposed to elucidate AM, the exact cause and development of the condition remain unclear. Recent studies have highlighted the significance of macrophage polarization in the microenvironment, which plays a crucial role in AM initiation and progression. However, a comprehensive review regarding the role and regulatory mechanism of macrophage polarization in AM is currently lacking. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the phenotype and function of macrophage polarization and the phenomenon of the polarization of adenomyosis-associated macrophages (AAMs). It also elaborates on the role and regulatory mechanism of AAM polarization in invasion/migration, fibrosis, angiogenesis, dysmenorrhea, and infertility. Furthermore, this review explores the underlying molecular mechanisms of AAM polarization and suggests future research directions. In conclusion, this review provides a new perspective on understanding the pathogenesis of AM and provides a theoretical foundation for developing targeted drugs through the regulation of AAM polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Qiu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- The Affiliated Xuzhou Municipal Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jian Cao
- Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital Nanjing, Nanjing, China
| | - Sujuan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongli Liu
- The Affiliated Xuzhou Municipal Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Guiping Wan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Tao Gui
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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Donnez J, Stratopoulou CA, Dolmans MM. Endometriosis and adenomyosis: Similarities and differences. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2024; 92:102432. [PMID: 38103509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2023.102432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Deep endometriosis and uterine adenomyosis are two frequently encountered conditions affecting approximately 200 million women worldwide. They are closely related, showing similar histological patterns and multiple common pathogenic features, and share the same symptoms. It is therefore not surprising that they are often thought to have a common developmental origin. Indeed, both deep endometriosis and adenomyosis appear to derive from estrogen-dependent overproliferation of endometrial tissue and its subsequent implantation in ectopic sites. Although the scientific community has shown increasing interest in these diseases over recent years, neither pathogenesis has yet been elucidated, so there are currently no efficient treatment options. Understanding the mechanisms underlying disease development, as well as discerning their relationship, are key to improving clinical management for millions of patients. The aims of this review are to summarize current knowledge on deep endometriosis and adenomyosis pathogeneses and discuss the possibility that these two entities are actually differential phenotypes of the same disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Donnez
- Prof Emeritus, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium; Society for Research into Infertility (SRI), 143 Avenue Grandchamp, 1150, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Christina Anna Stratopoulou
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie-Madeleine Dolmans
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium; Gynecology Department, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
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Yu B, McCartney S, Strenk S, Valint DJ, Liu C, Haggerty CL, Fredricks DN. Vaginal Bacteria Elicit Acute Inflammatory Response in Fallopian Tube Organoids. Reprod Sci 2024; 31:505-513. [PMID: 37726587 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01350-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
To facilitate in vitro mechanistic studies in pelvic inflammatory disease and subsequent tubal factor infertility, we sought to establish patient tissue derived fallopian tube (FT) organoids and to study their inflammatory response to acute vaginal bacterial infection. FT tissues were obtained from four patients after salpingectomy for benign gynecological diseases. We introduced acute infection in the FT organoid culture system by inoculating the organoid culture media with two common vaginal bacterial species, Lactobacillus crispatus and Fannyhessea vaginae. The inflammatory response elicited in the organoids after acute bacterial infection was analyzed by the expression profile of 249 inflammatory genes. Compared to the negative controls that were not cultured with any bacteria, the organoids cultured with either bacterial species showed multiple differentially expressed inflammatory genes. Marked differences were noted between the Lactobacillus crispatus infected organoids and those infected by Fannyhessea vaginae. Genes from the C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL) family were highly upregulated in Fannyhessea vaginae infected organoids. Flow cytometry showed that immune cells quickly disappeared during the organoid culture, indicating the inflammatory response observed with bacterial culture was generated by the epithelial cells in the organoids. In summary, we have shown that patient tissue derived FT organoids respond to acute bacterial infection with upregulation of inflammatory genes specific to different vaginal bacterial species. FT organoids is a useful in vitro model system to study the host-pathogen interaction during bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 240 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Stanford Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Stephen McCartney
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Susan Strenk
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, E4-100, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Daniel J Valint
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, E4-100, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Congzhou Liu
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, E4-100, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Catherine L Haggerty
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David N Fredricks
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, E4-100, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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d'Argent M, Stratopoulou CA, Cussac S, Camboni A, Jadoul P, Donnez J, Dolmans MM. Are lower levels of apoptosis and autophagy behind adenomyotic lesion survival? Reprod Biomed Online 2023; 47:103248. [PMID: 37451972 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION How are markers of cell death, invasiveness and progesterone signalling expressed in endometrium and ectopic lesions from adenomyosis patients? DESIGN Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue was collected from 15 control and 15 adenomyosis participants . To assess cell survival capacity, caspase 3 and microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3B) were immunolabelled as markers of apoptosis and autophagy respectively. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) expression served as a marker of extracellular matrix degradation and invasion activity. Progesterone receptors were immunostained to detect evidence of progesterone resistance. RESULTS Caspase 3 expression was significantly lower in the stromal (P = 0.0013) and epithelial (P = 0.0157) compartments of adenomyotic lesions than in healthy endometrial tissue. In the stroma, caspase 3 expression was significantly weaker in lesions than in corresponding eutopic endometrium (P = 0.0006). LC3B immunostaining was significantly decreased in adenomyotic stroma compared with corresponding eutopic endometrium (P = 0.0349). A significantly higher expression of MMP9 was detected in eutopic stroma from adenomyosis patients than in healthy tissue (P = 0.0295). Progesterone receptor immunostaining was found to be significantly weaker in the stroma of endometrium and ectopic lesions from adenomyosis patients than disease-free women (P = 0.0001; P = 0.0021). CONCLUSIONS Adenomyotic lesions show lower levels of apoptosis and autophagy, suggesting that aberrant cell survival may be involved in disease pathogenesis. MMP9 appears to contribute to endometrial invasiveness in adenomyosis, as its expression is more pronounced in endometrium from these women than women without the disease. Evidence of progesterone resistance can be found in endometrium and ectopic lesions from adenomyosis patients, and may drive disease development and account for the failure of certain patients to respond to progestogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie d'Argent
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christina Anna Stratopoulou
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Cussac
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alessandra Camboni
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Anatomopathology Department, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pascale Jadoul
- Gynecology Department, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jacques Donnez
- Société de Recherche pour l'Infertilité, Brussels, Belgium; Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie-Madeleine Dolmans
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Gynecology Department, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
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Yu B, McCartney S, Strenk S, Valint D, Liu C, Haggerty C, Fredricks DN. Vaginal bacteria elicit acute inflammatory response in fallopian tube organoids: a model for pelvic inflammatory disease. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2891189. [PMID: 37293093 PMCID: PMC10246240 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2891189/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Objective: To facilitate in vitro mechanistic studies in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and subsequent tubal factor infertility, as well as ovarian carcinogenesis, we sought to establish patient tissue derived fallopian tube (FT) organoids and to study their inflammatory response to acute vaginal bacterial infection. Design: Experimental study. Setting: Academic medical and researchcenter. Patients: FT tissues were obtained from four patients after salpingectomy for benign gynecological diseases. Interventions: We introduced acute infection in the FT organoid culture system by inoculating the organoid culture media with two common vaginal bacterial species, Lactobacillus crispatus and Fannyhesseavaginae . Main Outcome Measures: The inflammatory response elicited in the organoids after acute bacterial infection was analyzed by the expression profile of 249 inflammatory genes. Results: Compared to the negative controls that were not cultured with any bacteria, the organoids cultured with either bacterial species showed multiple differentially expressed inflammatory genes. Marked differences were noted between the Lactobacillus crispatus infected organoids and those infected by Fannyhessea vaginae . Genes from the C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL) family were highly upregulated in F. vaginae infected organoids. Flow cytometry showed that immune cells quickly disappeared during the organoid culture, indicating the inflammatory response observed with bacterial culture was generated by the epithelial cells in the organoids. Conclusion : Patient tissue derived FT organoids respond to acute bacterial infection with upregulation of inflammatory genes specific to different vaginal bacterial species. FT organoids is a useful model system to study the host-pathogen interaction during bacterial infection which may facilitate mechanistic investigations in PID and its contribution to tubal factor infertility and ovarian carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Stephen McCartney
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Susan Strenk
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Daniel Valint
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Congzhou Liu
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | | | - David N. Fredricks
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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Yu B, Nguyen EB, McCartney S, Strenk S, Valint D, Liu C, Haggerty C, Fredricks DN. Vaginal bacteria elicit acute inflammatory response in fallopian tube organoids: a model for pelvic inflammatory disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.06.527402. [PMID: 36798329 PMCID: PMC9934550 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.06.527402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Objective To facilitate in vitro mechanistic studies in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and subsequent tubal factor infertility, as well as ovarian carcinogenesis, we sought to establish patient tissue derived fallopian tube (FT) organoids and to study their inflammatory response to acute vaginal bacterial infection. Design Experimental study. Setting Academic medical and research center. Patients FT tissues were obtained from four patients after salpingectomy for benign gynecological diseases. Interventions We introduced acute infection in the FT organoid culture system by inoculating the organoid culture media with two common vaginal bacterial species, Lactobacillus crispatus and Fannyhessea vaginae . Main Outcome Measures The inflammatory response elicited in the organoids after acute bacterial infection was analyzed by the expression profile of 249 inflammatory genes. Results Compared to the negative controls that were not cultured with any bacteria, the organoids cultured with either bacterial species showed multiple differentially expressed inflammatory genes. Marked differences were noted between the Lactobacillus crispatus infected organoids and those infected by Fannyhessea vaginae . Genes from the C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL) family were highly upregulated in F. vaginae infected organoids. Flow cytometry showed that immune cells quickly disappeared during the organoid culture, indicating the inflammatory response observed with bacterial culture was generated by the epithelial cells in the organoids. Conclusion Patient tissue derived FT organoids respond to acute bacterial infection with upregulation of inflammatory genes specific to different vaginal bacterial species. FT organoids is a useful model system to study the host-pathogen interaction during bacterial infection which may facilitate mechanistic investigations in PID and its contribution to tubal factor infertility and ovarian carcinogensis.
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Adenomyosis: single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals a paracrine mesenchymal-epithelial interaction involving the WNT/SFRP pathway. Fertil Steril 2023; 119:869-882. [PMID: 36736810 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the cellular and molecular landscape of adenomyosis. DESIGN Single-cell analysis of genome-wide messenger RNA (mRNA) expression (single-cell RNA sequencing) of matched tissues of endometrium, adenomyosis, and myometrium using relatively large numbers of viable cells. SETTING Not applicable. PATIENT(S) Patients (n = 3, age range 40-44 years) undergoing hysterectomy for diffuse adenomyosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Definition of the molecular landscape of matched adenomyotic, endometrial and myometrial tissues from the same uterus using single-cell RNA sequencing and comparison of distinct cell types in these tissues to identify disease-specific cell populations, abnormal gene expression and pathway activation, and mesenchymal-epithelial interactions. RESULT(S) The largest cell population in the endometrium was composed of closely clustered fibroblast groups, which comprise 36% of all cells and seem to originate from pericyte progenitors differentiating to estrogen/progesterone receptor-expressing endometrial stromal- cells. In contrast, the entire fibroblast population in adenomyosis comprised a larger (50%) portion of all cells and was not linked to any pericyte progenitors. Adenomyotic fibroblasts eventually differentiate into extracellular matrix protein-expressing fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Hierarchical clustering of mRNA expression revealed a unique adenomyotic fibroblast population that clustered transcriptomically with endometrial fibroblasts, suggestive of an endometrial stromal cell population serving as progenitors of adenomyosis. Four other adenomyotic fibroblast clusters with disease-specific transcriptomes were distinct from those of endometrial or myometrial fibroblasts. The mRNA levels of the natural WNT inhibitors, named, secreted frizzled-related proteins 1, 2, and 4, were higher in these 4 adenomyotic fibroblast clusters than in endometrial fibroblast clusters. Moreover, we found that multiple WNTs, which originate from fibroblasts and target ciliated and unciliated epithelial cells and endothelial cells, constitute a critical paracrine signaling network in adenomyotic tissue. Compared with endometrial tissue, unciliated and ciliated epithelial cells in adenomyosis comprised a significantly smaller portion of this tissue and exhibited molecular evidence of progesterone resistance and diminished regulation of estrogen signaling. CONCLUSION(S) We found a high degree of heterogeneity in fibroblast-like cells in the adenomyotic uterus. The WNT signaling involving differential expression of secreted frizzled-related proteins, which act as decoy receptors for WNTs, in adenomyotic fibroblasts may have a key role in the pathophysiology of this disease.
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Stratopoulou CA, Cussac S, d'Argent M, Donnez J, Dolmans MM. M2 macrophages enhance endometrial cell invasiveness by promoting collective cell migration in uterine adenomyosis. Reprod Biomed Online 2023; 46:729-738. [PMID: 36792417 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION Are M2 macrophages implicated in endometrial invasiveness in adenomyosis? DESIGN Seventeen formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded uterine samples and 16 fresh endometrial biopsies were collected from women with or without adenomyosis. Double immunofluorescence was performed to determine the predominant macrophage population in adenomyosis between M1 and M2 phenotypes. The invasion capacity of endometrial cells was assessed by invasion assays and quantitative polymerase chain reaction for genes involved in cell motility and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Specific mechanisms of invasion were investigated by immunohistochemistry for E-cadherin, N-cadherin and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9). RESULTS Only M2 macrophages were found to accumulate in adenomyosis, in higher numbers in both eutopic endometrium (P = 0.0109) and lesions (P = 0.0267) than healthy tissue. Co-culture with M2 macrophages significantly boosted invasion capacity in endometrial epithelial (P = 0.0002; P = 0.002) and stromal cells (P = 0.0469; P = 0.0047) from both adenomyosis patients and healthy controls. No gene expression differences indicating EMT were noted, either between co-cultured and control cells, or between healthy and adenomyotic cells. E- and N-cadherin protein expression did not differ significantly between endometrium from adenomyosis subjects and healthy tissue but MMP9 expression was increased in eutopic stroma from adenomyosis patients (P = 0.0492). In adenomyosis, both E-cadherin (P = 0.0379) and N-cadherin (P = 0.0196) were more extensively expressed in basal glands than functional glands. CONCLUSIONS M2 macrophages accumulate in adenomyosis and enhance invasion capacity of adenomyotic and even healthy endometrial cells, implying that macrophage infiltration alone may be sufficient to promote the disease. This study failed to detect any changes pointing to EMT, suggesting an alternative mode of invasion. Strong E- and N-cadherin-positive intercellular junctions in basal (invasive) glands suggest the involvement of collective cell migration in the invasion process of endometrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Anna Stratopoulou
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Cussac
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie d'Argent
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jacques Donnez
- Société de Recherche pour l'Infertilité, Brussels, Belgium; Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie-Madeleine Dolmans
- Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Gynecology Department, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
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