miR-193b-5p and miR-374b-5p Are Aberrantly Expressed in Endometriosis and Suppress Endometrial Cell Migration In Vitro
(1) Background: Endometriosis is a prevalent gynecological disease affecting 1 out of 10 women of reproductive age. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may play a role in endometriosis, though their exact function is unclear. In this study we aimed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in endometriosis and study their functional role in the disease. (2) Methods: Endometrial tissue was collected from patients with endometriosis (n=15) and healthy controls (n=17). Dysregulated miR-NAs were identified through small RNA-sequencing, and their function were explored by target gene prediction and pathway analysis. Selected miRNAs were validated in a cohort of paired ec-topic endometriomas and eutopic endometrium (n=10) using RT-qPCR. Their role in cell migration and proliferation were further examined in vitro using functional assays. To identify potential target genes, we performed mRNA sequencing of the miRNA-transfected cells and endometrioma cohort. (3) Results: We identified 14 dysregulated miRNAs in eutopic endometrium from women with en-dometriosis. Pathway analysis indicated enrichment in cell migration and proliferation pathways. miR-193b-5p and miR-374b-5p, selected for validation, were up-regulated in endometrioma. Over-expression of these two miRNAs in-vitro inhibited cell migration and mRNA sequencing further revealed that several genes related to cell migration are targeted by these miRNAs. (4) Conclusions: Our study identified two key endometrial miRNAs that may be involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis by regulating cell migration. Overall design: Endometrial tissue was collected from patients with endometriosis (n=15) and healthy controls (n=17). Dysregulated miR-NAs were identified through small RNA-sequencing