title: Aberrant expression and hormonal regulation of Galectin-3 in endometriosis women with infertility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role and potential molecular mechanism of Galectin-3 (Gal-3) in the etiology of endometriosis-associated infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  We detected Gal-3 expression in eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis-associated infertility and healthy women without endometriosis or infertility. We then evaluated Gal-3 expression in endometrial glandular epithelial cells (EECs) and endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) and investigated its response to hormone stimulation in EECs and ESCs from both groups of women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of real-time PCR and western blot analysis showed Gal-3 expression in both proliferative and secretory stages of the menstrual cycle decreased significantly in women with endometriosis-associated infertility compared to healthy women. The changes in expression of Gal-3 were more dramatic in EECs than ESCs. Moreover, estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) induced Gal-3 expression in EECs of healthy groups, and P4 was more significant than E2 and combined E2 and P4 (E2P4). However, in the endometriosis group, P4 failed to induce a similar increase in Gal-3 expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that aberrant expression of Gal-3 might contribute to infertility in patients with endometriosis due to progesterone resistance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, 413 Zhaozhou Road, Shanghai, 200011, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Chongqing Ninth People's Hospital, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ficarrotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, 413 Zhaozhou Road, Shanghai, 200011, China. zhang.wei.fudan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA. Chao.Cheng@dartmouth.edu.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007246:Infertility / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004967:Estrogens; D037502:Galectin 3; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: Endometriosis; Galectin-3 (Gal-3); Sex hormone; Uterine receptivity