Association of the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor 22 polymorphism (PTPN22) with endometriosis: a meta-analysis

Analysis of the influence of endometriosis on quality of life

Abstract Introduction: Endometriosis is a disorder that can significantly affect quality of life (QOL) and interfere in biological, psychological, social, marital and family aspects. Objective: To analyze the influence of endometriosis on the QOL of women diagnosed with the disease. Methods: The study was carried out from March to April 2018, with 10 volunteers from the Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará Foundation, with a clinical diagnosis of endometriosis. The Portuguese version of the endometriosis health profile questionnaire (EHP-30) was applied in order to assess QOL in women with this pathology. Results: The sociodemographic results revealed a predominance of women aged between 29 and 55 years, most of whom were married (6) and high school graduates (5). Seven of the ten volunteers had previous pregnancies. Of the aspects evaluated in the EHP-30, 79% of the items associated with pelvic pain in the core questionnaire were present in the participants. In other questionnaires, sexual life (82%) was the most affected index, followed by professional life (70%) and infertility (58.82%). Conclusion: The aspects of QOL most impacted by pelvic pain associated with endometriosis in the women evaluated were sexuality and professional life, leading to biopsychosocial trauma.

Association of the single nucleotide polymorphism C1858T of the PTPN22 gene with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss: A case-control study

Background

Lymphoid-tyrosine-phosphatase which is encoded by the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor 22 (PTPN22) gene plays a pivotal role in the regulation of immune responses by dephosphorylating several signaling intermediates of immune cells.

Objective

Since a balanced immune response has been shown to be important during pregnancy, the purpose of this research was to compare the frequency of the PTPN22 C1858T polymorphism in women with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL) vs. in a control group for the first time.

Materials and Methods

Genomic DNA from 200 individuals with URPL and 200 individuals without URPL (the control group) at the infertility center in Yazd, Iran was isolated using the salting-out method. The PTPN22 C1858T polymorphism of the two groups was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Genotype frequencies in the women with URPL and the fertile control group were compared using the Chi-square test.

Results

There were significant differences in the frequency of the PTPN22 1858T polymorphism in the URPL individuals vs. the healthy controls, i.e. 32.0% and 21.5%, respectively (p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the PTPN22 1858T polymorphism could play a role in recurrent pregnancy loss. Therefore, genotyping of the mentioned polymorphism can help clinicians to predict the probable risk of URPL.

Antinuclear antibodies in patients with endometriosis: A cross-sectional study in 94 patients

Markers of autoimmunity, such as autoantibodies, have been found in patients with endometriosis. These include the antinuclear antibodies (ANA). We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of ANA in a sample of patients with endometriosis and its possible clinical associations. Ninety-four patients with endometriosis and 91 controls were studied for ANA and extractable nuclear antigen (ENA; anti-Ro, anti-La, anti-Sm, and anti-RNP) profiles and anti-dsDNA. Epidemiological, clinical, and staging data in endometriosis were obtained. Patients with autoimmune disorders were excluded. Patients with endometriosis had a 21.2% prevalence of positive ANA vs. 5.4% in controls (P = 0.001). The ENA profile and anti-dsDNA were negative. Patients with positive ANA were more asymptomatic (P = 0.03) and had less dysmenorrhea. No associations with disease duration, patient age, or endometriosis stage were found. We found a high prevalence of positive ANA in patients with endometriosis. The presence of this autoantibody may be linked to a milder clinical expression of the disease.

Genetic Characterization of Endometriosis Patients: Review of the Literature and a Prospective Cohort Study on a Mediterranean Population

The pathogenesis of endometriosis is unknown, but some evidence supports a genetic predisposition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the recent literature on the genetic characterization of women affected by endometriosis and to evaluate the influence of polymorphisms of the wingless-type mammalian mouse tumour virus integration site family member 4 (WNT4), vezatin (VEZT), and follicle stimulating hormone beta polypeptide (FSHB) genes, already known to be involved in molecular mechanisms associated with the proliferation and development of endometriotic lesions in the Sardinian population. Materials and Methods: In order to provide a comprehensive and systematic tool for those approaching the genetics of endometriosis, the most cited review, observational, cohort and case-control studies that have evaluated the genetics of endometriosis in the last 20 years were collected. Moreover, 72 women were recruited for a molecular biology analysis of whole-blood samples—41 patients affected by symptomatic endometriosis and 31 controls. The molecular typing of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was evaluated in patients and controls: rs7521902, rs10859871 and rs11031006, mapped respectively in the WNT4, VEZT and FSHB genes. In this work, the frequency of alleles, genotypes and haplotypes of these SNPs in Sardinian women is described. Results: From the initial search, a total of 73 articles were chosen. An analysis of the literature showed that in endometriosis pathogenesis, the contribution of genetics has been well supported by many studies. The frequency of genotypes observed in the groups of the study population of 72 women was globally coherent with the law of the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. For the SNP rs11031006 (FSHB), the endometriosis group did not show an increase in genotypic or allelic frequency due to this polymorphism compared to the control group (p = 0.9999, odds ratio (OR) = 0.000, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.000–15.000 and p = 0.731, OR = 1639, 95% CI, 0.39–683, respectively, for the heterozygous genotype and the polymorphic minor allele). For the SNP rs10859871 (VEZT), we found a significant difference in the frequency of the homozygous genotype in the control group compared to the affected women (p = 0.0111, OR = 0.0602, 95% CI, 0.005–0.501). For the SNP rs7521902 (WNT4), no increase in genotypic or allelic frequency between the two groups was shown (p = 0.3088, OR = 0.4133, 95% CI, 0.10–1.8 and p = 0.3297, OR = 2257, 95% CI, 0.55–914, respectively, for the heterozygous genotype and the polymorphic minor allele). Conclusion: An analysis of recent publications on the genetics of endometriosis showed a discrepancy in the results obtained in different populations. In the Sardinian population, the results obtained do not show a significant association between the investigated variants of the genes and a greater risk of developing endometriosis, although several other studies in the literature have shown the opposite. Anyway, the data underline the importance of evaluating genetic variants in different populations. In fact, in different ethnic groups, it is possible that specific risk alleles could act differently in the pathogenesis of the disease.

The role of survivin in the pathogenesis of endometriosis

INTRODUCTION

Endometriosis is a common, estrogen-dependent condition, defined as the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside of the uterus, associated with often chronic and inflammatory reaction. The association of endometriosis with cancer is unclear, although endometriosis and cancer present some molecular similarities. Survinin, encoded by the BIRC5 gene, is a protein that controls cell division, inhibits apoptosis and promotes angiogenesis. Here we aimed to summarize and to discuss the main findings of studies that addressed the involvement of survivin in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

We conducted a comprehensive retrieval from electronic databases, included the MEDLINE, EMBASE, with no restrictions to time span. We used the search terms endometriosis and survivin or BIRC5 and collected all relevant studies to explore the association between endometriosis and surviving expression.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

A total of 21 studies included in the systematic review, comprising sample collected from 1263 women with endometriosis. Results showed the involvement of more than 60 genes and proteins evaluated in eutopic, ectopic, endometrial and ovarian endometriosis, as well as in several gynecological conditions compared to healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The studies provided the basis for the involvement of survivin in the pathogenesis of the disease by several and independent pathways.

Epidemiologic Factors Associated with Endometriosis in East Asia

Aim

With a perplexing pathogenesis and an incidence rate of approximately 10% among women of reproductive age, endometriosis affects more women in Asia than in any other continent in the world. This paper reviews the available data on the epidemiology and risk factors associated with endometriosis in East Asia.

Methods

Included studies were published between January 2000 and December 2016. Articles were required to include East Asian patients with a diagnosis of endometriosis and to study epidemiology, such as the prevalence and/or incidence, associated with inherited, environmental, and/or lifestyle factors. A total of 65 candidate articles were retrieved and 22 were included in the final review.

Results

Only one study provided an estimate of prevalence (6.8%). Short menstrual cycle, family history of endometriosis, and some genetic polymorphisms are associated with the risk of developing endometriosis. Smoking, lower body mass index, and lower parity associated with increased risk of endometriosis were suggested as modifiable factors. Limitations of this study include the poor quality of data identified, and the language barriers behind the study retrieval.

Conclusions

Data on the epidemiology of endometriosis in the East Asian populations are limited. The available data that examine potential genetic factors do not unveil whether such factors directly contribute to the increased risk of endometriosis. Further extensive studies on endometriosis in Asian women are required to improve the management of this disease.