Effects of EZH2 on Invasion and Migration of Endometrial Stromal Cells in Endometriosis Patients by Regulating PCDH10 Gene H3K27 Methylation.

Context: Endometriosis refers to the appearance of ectopic endometrioid tissue outside the uterus. Low PCDH10 expression has been associated with enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), which catalyzes histone 3 (H3K27me3). H3K27me3 is an epigenetic marker associated with endometriosis.

Objective: The study intended to explore the influence of protocadherin 10 (PCDH10) on the invasion and migration of endometrial stromal cells in endometriosis as well as its mechanism.

Design: The research team designed a laboratory study using endometrial tissue.

Setting: The study took place in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at South University of Science and Technology Hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.

Participants: Participants were 10 patients with ovarian endometriosis (ovarian chocolate cysts) who were undergoing surgical treatment at the hospital between January and December 2019. The endometrial tissue of those participants became the endometriosis group. Other participants with normal endometrial tissue became the controls (n=10).

Outcome Measures: The research team collected tissues from participants and used immunofluorescence, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and Western blot assay to determine the expression levels of PCDH10, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), and histone H3 (H3K27me3). The team cultured endometrial stromal cells from participants primarily to detect the effects of silencing EZH2 on PCDH10 and H3K27me3 expression. The team used a Transwell assay and scratch test to examine the influence of silencing EZH2 on invasion and migration of endometrial stromal cells and applied chromatin immunoprecipitation to determine H3K27me3 enrichment in the PCDH10 gene promoter region.

Results: PCDH10 in heterotopic endometrial tissues of endometriosis patients had low expression, while EZH2 and H3K27me3 were highly expressed. Silencing EZH2 inhibited EZH2 protein expression, increased PCDH10 expression, and inhibited invasion and migration of endometrial stromal cells by increasing PCDH10 expression. Silencing EZH2 also reduced H3K27me3 enrichment in PCDH10 promoter region.

Conclusions: Low PCDH10 expression may be associated with high EZH2 expression and H3K27me3 enrichment in endometriosis patients, which promotes the migration and invasion of endometrial stromal cells. This connection provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of endometriosis.