PTGS2 down-regulation in cumulus cells of infertile women with endometriosis.

A deleterious effect of endometriosis on oocyte quality has been proposed. Evidence suggests that cumulus cells could be used as indirect biomarkers of oocyte quality. The PTGS2 gene, which encodes cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), is deregulated in endometriotic lesions and plays a crucial role in the acquisition of oocyte competence.

Higher SOD1 Gene Expression in Cumulus Cells From Infertile Women With Moderate and Severe Endometriosis.

It is questioned whether worsening of oocyte quality and oxidative stress (OS) are involved in the pathogenesis of infertility related to endometriosis and in compromised intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes. Cumulus cells (CCs) protect oocytes from entering apoptosis induced by OS. Thus, we carried out a case-control study comparing expression of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4; genes encoding for the main antioxidant enzymes) in CCs from mature oocytes of 26 infertile patients with minimal/mild endometriosis, 14 patients with moderate/severe endometriosis, and 41 controls undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation for ICSI, using real-time polymerase chain reaction.