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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