T-cadherin inhibits invasion and migration of endometrial stromal cells in endometriosis

• Published in: Human reproduction (Oxford) 2020-01, Vol.35 (1), p.145-156
• Main Authors: Lu, Qinsheng, Huang, Yanqing, Wu, Jiabao, Guan, Yutao, Du, Miaomiao, Wang, Fenghua, Liu, Zhihong, Zhu, Yali, Gong, Guifang, Hou, Huomei, Zhang, Min, Zhang, Joy Yue, Ning, Fen, Chen, Lixin, Wang, Liwei, Lash, Gendie E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cadherins; China; Endometriosis; Endometrium; Female; Humans; Stromal Cells
• ISSN: 0268-1161; 1460-2350
• DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dez252

Abstract STUDY QUESTION What is the expression level of T-cadherin in endometriosis, and does T-cadherin play a role in regulating invasion and migration of endometrial stromal cells? SUMMARY ANSWER T-cadherin expression was reduced in ectopic endometriotic lesions compared to eutopic endometrium, and T-cadherin overexpression inhibited the invasion and migration of endometrial stromal cells. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Endometriosis is a disease that involves active cell invasion and migration. T-cadherin can inhibit cell invasion, migration and proliferation in various cancer cells, but its role in endometriosis has not been investigated. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We explored the expression status of T-cadherin in 40 patients with and 24 without endometriosis. We also isolated endometrial stromal cells to study the invasion, migration and signaling pathway regulation of T-cadherin overexpression. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Patients were recruited at the Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center to study the expression levels of T-cadherin. The expression of T-cadherin was detected by immunohistochemistry staining and western blot. H-score was used to evaluate the staining intensity of T-cadherin. The correlation between T-cadherin expression levels (H-score) and endometriosis patients’ age, stage, lesion size and adhesion was analyzed. Endometrial stromal cells from patients with and without endometriosis were isolated, and cell invasion and migration were detected by transwell assays after T-cadherin overexpression. The expression of vimentin in T-cadherin-overexpressed cells was detected by western blot. After T-cadherin overexpression, the phosphorylation profile of signaling pathway proteins was detected with the Proteome Profiler Human Phospho-Kinase Array Kit. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE There was no difference in the expression of T-cadherin in the normal endometrium of control patients and the eutopic endometrium of endometriotic patients, but it was significantly decreased in the ectopic endometrium of endometriotic patients, compared with control endometrium and eutopic endometrium of endometriosis patients (P