title: Reduced expression of progesterone receptor-B in the endometrium of women with endometriosis and in cocultures of endometrial cells exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze endometrial progesterone receptor (PR) expression in women with endometriosis compared with disease-free women and to assess the impact of in vitro 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure on PR isotype expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy volunteers and women with surgically diagnosed endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of in vivo PR-A and PR-B expression in endometrium from women with and without endometriosis. The impact of in vitro TCDD exposure on PR-B/PR-A ratio and cell-specific matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression was also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PR-B/PR-A ratio was lower in endometrial tissues from women with endometriosis compared with normal tissues. A similar ratio was induced in normal stromal cells cocultured with epithelial cells and exposed to TCDD. Disruption of stromal PR expression following TCDD exposure was associated with a failure of P-mediated down-regulation of both stromal-specific pro-MMP-3 and epithelial-specific pro-MMP-7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that reduced progesterone (P) sensitivity in the endometrium of women with endometriosis may be related to an altered pattern of PR expression. The ability of TCDD to selectively down-regulate stromal PR-B expression and increase MMP expression in both stromal and epithelial cells suggests that exposure to this toxin may negatively impact P-mediated cell-cell communication in the human endometrium.
authors: Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
authors: Toshio M
authors: TM
authors: Igarashi
authors: Kaylon L
authors: KL
authors: Bruner-Tran
authors: Grant R
authors: GR
authors: Yeaman
authors: Bruce A
authors: BA
authors: Lessey
authors: Dean P
authors: DP
authors: Edwards
authors: Esther
authors: E
authors: Eisenberg
authors: Kevin G
authors: KG
authors: Osteen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C097314:progesterone receptor B; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases