title: Expression patterns of progesterone receptor membrane components 1 and 2 in endometria from women with and without endometriosis.
abstract: Endometriosis is a hormone-dependent inflammatory condition associated with pain and infertility. A growing body of evidence supports attenuated secretory-phase progesterone responsiveness in women with this disease. Herein, we compare the expression of progesterone receptor membrane components (PGRMC) 1 and 2 in eutopic endometrium from 11 women with laparoscopically and/or histologically proven stage III/IV endometriosis and 23 disease-free women. Menstrual cycle phase was determined using a combination of reported cycle day, serum hormone profile, and endometrial histologic dating. The PGRMC-1 (fold change -3.3; P < .05) and PGRMC-2 (fold-change -8.8; P < .05) gene expression were significantly downregulated in secretory phase, eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated decreased PGRMC-1 and PGRMC-2 protein expression in the secretory phase endometrial stroma cells of women with endometriosis. Consistent with the preclinical work of others, our results reflect downregulation of endometrial PGRMC-1 and PGRMC-2 expression in secretory phase endometrium from women with advanced stage endometriosis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of attenuated progesterone action in endometriosis has important diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bunch
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tinnemore
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huff
authors.forename: Zachary S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Hoffer
authors.forename: Richard O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Burney
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Stallings
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; C115296:PGRMC1 protein, human; C115297:PGRMC2 protein, human; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone
keywords: PGRMC-1; PGRMC-2; endometriosis; progesterone; progesterone receptor membrane component 1; progesterone receptor membrane component 2