Hypoxic conditions affect transcriptome of endometrial stromal cells in endometriosis and promote TGFBI axis.

Background: Endometriosis is characterized by the ectopic growth of endometrial-like cells, causing chronic pelvic pain, adhesions and impaired fertility in women of reproductive age. Usually, these lesions grow in the peritoneal cavity in a hypoxic environment. Hypoxia is known to affect gene expression and protein kinase (PK) activity.

Bromocriptine inhibits proliferation in the endometrium from women with adenomyosis.

Objective: Bromocriptine treatment has been shown to reduce menstrual bleeding and pain in women with adenomyosis in a pilot clinical trial. The underlying mechanism contributing to the treatment effect is however unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of bromocriptine on the proliferation and migration properties of the endometrium in women with adenomyosis, by assessing cellular and molecular changes after six months of vaginal bromocriptine treatment.

Effects of Estradiol/Micronized Progesterone vs. Conjugated Equine Estrogens/Medroxyprogesterone Acetate on Breast Cancer Gene Expression in Healthy Postmenopausal Women.

Recent studies suggest estradiol (E)/natural progesterone (P) confers less breast cancer risk compared with conjugated equine estrogens (CEE)/synthetic progestogens. We investigate if could provide some explanation. This study is a subset of a monocentric, 2-way, open observer-blinded, phase 4 randomized controlled trial on healthy postmenopausal women with climacteric symptoms (ClinicalTrials.

Syndecan-1 modulates the invasive potential of endometrioma via TGF-β signalling in a subgroup of women with endometriosis.

Study Question: What is the physiological role of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) and syndecans (SDC1, SDC4) in endometriotic cells in women with endometriosis?

Summary Answer: We observed an abnormal, pro-invasive phenotype in a subgroup of samples with ovarian endometriosis, which was reversed by combining gene silencing of SDC1 with the TGF-β1 treatment.

What Is Known Already: Women with endometriosis express high levels of TGF-β1 and the proteoglycan co-receptors SDC1 and SDC4 within endometriotic cysts. However, how SDC1 and SDC4 expression is regulated by TGF-β1 and the physiological significance of the high expression in endometriotic cysts remains unknown as does the potential role in disease severity.

Aberrant expression of genes associated with stemness and cancer in endometria and endometrioma in a subset of women with endometriosis.

Study Question: Is there molecular evidence for a link between endometriosis and endometriosis-associated ovarian cancers (EAOC)?

Study Answer: We identified aberrant gene expression signatures associated with malignant transformation in a small subgroup of women with ovarian endometriosis.

What Is Known Already: Epidemiological studies have shown an increased risk of EAOC in women with ovarian endometriosis. However, the cellular and molecular changes leading to EAOC are largely unexplored.

Expressions of steroid receptors and Ki67 in first-trimester decidua and chorionic villi exposed to levonorgestrel used for emergency contraception.

Levonorgestrel (1.5 mg) is commonly used for emergency contraception to prevent an unwanted pregnancy after an unprotected intercourse. We found that postovulatory administration of 1.