Activin-A
secretion is increased in the eutopic endometrium from
women with endometriosis
Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia,
have concluded that the expression of inhibin/activin
subunits in eutopic endometrium is altered in women
with endometriosis, leading to higher levels of activin-A
secretion by both glandular cells and stromal cells.
Activin is a well-characterised growth and differentiation
factor and an important inflammatory mediator. Activin
is secreted by normal endometrial glands and stroma
and is expressed by endometrial leucocytes. It is also
known that the eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis
is functionally different to that from women without
endometriosis.
In this study it was hypothesised that the endometrial
secretion of activin is altered in women with endometriosis.
The team therefore set out to determine whether the
expression of inhibin/activin subunits and the secretion
of activin-A is different in eutopic endometrium from
women with and without endometriosis.
Endometrial biopsies were obtained from premenopausal,
regularly menstruating women with and without endometriosis.
Staining intensity for the different inhibin/activin
subunits was compared in endometrial and endometriotic
biopsies. Activin-A secretion was studied using endometrial
explants and endometrial glandular and stromal monolayer
cell cultures.
The team, lead by Dr Luk Rombauts, were able to show
that the alpha- and betaA-subunits of inhibin/activin
were more abundant in eutopic glandular cells from patients
with minimal to mild endometriosis compared to women
without endometriosis. In patients with endometriosis,
the betaB-subunit was more abundant in eutopic stromal
cells and endometrial leucocytes. Comparison of paired
endometrial and endometriotic biopsies from the same
patient did not reveal significant differences for any
of the inhibin/activin subunits or activin receptors.
Activin-A secretion by glandular and stromal endometrial
cells was sevenfold and threefold higher, respectively,
in women with endometriosis compared to women without
endometriosis.
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