MedWire News: Researchers suggest that differential regulation of genes in eutopic human endometrial endothelial cells (HEECs) may enhance angiogenic activity during the peritoneal vascularization of ectopic endometrial lesions.

J. Lang (Peking Union Medical College Hospital, People’s Republic of China) and colleagues explored differences in gene expression profiles in HEECs from eutopic endometria of five women with and five without endometriosis.

In HEECs from women with endometriosis, there was an altered secretion pattern of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and upregulation of the gene gremlin 1 compared with HEECs from women without endometriosis.

The researchers note that the synergistic action of these differentially expressed genes promotes cell proliferation and concomitantly inhibits apoptosis. They also found that HEECs from women with endometriosis had a potent survival ability in vitro compared with those from controls.

The thrombospondin 2 gene was among the up-regulated ECM genes, and was the only one that exhibited the capacity to suppress angigogenesis. It may therefore function as an antagonist to the aberrant angiogenesis and confine the extent and severity.

Lang et al postulate that “eutopic HEECs play a facilitating role during the peritoneal vascularization of ectopic endometrial lesions by enhancing angiogenic activity via a paracrine effect.”

Journal abstract