title: Compartmentalized secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor expression and hormone responses along the reproductive tract of postmenopausal women.
abstract: Immunity and hormonal responses in the reproductive tissues of postmenopausal women are poorly understood. Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), a multifunctional antimicrobial protein expressed at mucosal surfaces, is thought to play a key role in infectious and inflammatory contexts. The aim of this study was to measure SLPI production along the female reproductive tract in postmenopausal women with and without hormonal treatment. We additionally quantified estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and progesterone receptor A (PRA) in these tissues. Expression of SLPI was decreased in the vagina and ectocervix of women under hormonal treatment. Endocervical ERα mRNA expression was increased while this did not reach significance at the protein level. SLPI expression in the endometrium was not influenced by hormonal treatment. We observed attenuated ERα expression in the cervix and endometrium of hormonally treated women, whereas vaginal expression was increased. PRA expression was augmented in the cervix and endometrium and unchanged in the vagina. Taken together, our results indicate that hormonal responses and receptor expression are differentially regulated in vaginal tissue compared with the cervix and endometrium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Medical Genetics, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vicari
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gori
authors.forename: Chahin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Achtari
authors.forename: Maryse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiche
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Surbeck
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Damnon
authors.forename: Geraldine O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Canny
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053481:Secretory Leukocyte Peptidase Inhibitor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D006728:Hormones; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D053481:Secretory Leukocyte Peptidase Inhibitor; C101118:progesterone receptor A