Endometriosis Knowledgebase


A repository for genes associated with endometriosis

Results


PMID 21496809
Gene Name FST
Condition Endometriosis
Association Associated
Population size 96
Population details 96 (48 women with endometrioma, 48 women without endometriosis)
Sex Female
Associated genes activin A, cripto, follistatin
Other associated phenotypes Endometriosis
Altered expression of activin, cripto, and follistatin in the endometrium of women with endometrioma.

Fertil Steril. 2011 Jun;95(7):2241-6. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.03.048. Epub

Rocha, Ana Luiza L| Carrarelli, Patrizia| Novembri, Romina| Sabbioni, Lorenzo| Luisi, Stefano| Reis, Fernando M| Petraglia, Felice

Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression pattern of activin A, activin receptors, and activin modulators messenger RNA (mRNA) in the eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis at different phases of the menstrual cycle and to evaluate the mRNA expression of the same proteins in endometriomas during the menstrual cycle. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): Women with and without endometriosis. INTERVENTION(S): Samples of endometrial and endometriotic tissue from women with endometrioma (n=48), and endometrial samples from women without endometriosis (controls) (n=48). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Quantification of activin A, activin B, activin receptor II, nodal, cripto, inhibin alpha, and follistatin expression by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULT(S): The eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis showed [1] higher activin A mRNA expression in the proliferative phase and a lack of late secretory phase peak, [2] a lack of endometrial cycle-related variations of cripto and inhibin alpha mRNA expression, and [3] an inverse expression pattern of follistatin mRNA. Endometriomas showed similar variations in the expression of activin-related protein mRNA during the menstrual cycle as eutopic endometrium. CONCLUSION(S): The disturbed expression of endometrial activin A, cripto (activin receptor antagonist), and follistatin (activin-binding protein) suggests a dysfunction of the activin pathway in endometriosis. Endometriomas showed similar changes of activin-related proteins during the menstrual cycle, which supports a common biology for eutopic and ectopic endometrium in endometriosis.

Mesh Terms: Activin Receptors, Type II/genetics| Activins/*genetics| Adult| Analysis of Variance| Brazil| Case-Control Studies| Endometriosis/*genetics/pathology/physiopathology| Female| Follistatin/*genetics| GPI-Linked Proteins/*genetics| Gene Expression