The endometrial stem cell markers notch-1 and numb are associated with endometriosis

Publication date: Available online 28 December 2017 Source:Reproductive BioMedicine Online Author(s): Andreas N. Schüring, Beatrice Dahlhues, Anna Korte, Ludwig Kiesel, Ulf Titze, Birthe Heitkötter, Christian Ruckert, Martin Götte Previous studies reported increased expression of the notch pathway-associated protein Musashi-1 in endometriosis. This case–control study investigates an association of the endometrial stem cell markers notch-1 and numb with endometriosis. Fifty-one endometriosis patients and 76 controls were recruited in the IVF unit and tertiary endometriosis referral centre of a university hospital. All subjects underwent transcervical endometrial biopsy and diagnostic laparoscopy. Expression of endometrial notch-1 and numb was assessed by immunostaining and correlated with clinical data. Association of stem-cell-marker expression with the presence of endometriosis was evaluated. Numb expression in the luminal epithelium was significantly higher in eutopic endometrium of endometriosis patients compared with controls (20.5% versus 16.5%, P = 0.033). Numb-positive single stromal cells were less frequent in endometrioma patients compared with other forms of endometriosis (0.3 versus 0.5 cells/visual field; P = 0.028). Notch-1 expression in endometrial glands was significantly higher in patients with deep infiltrating endometriosis compared with controls (39.1% versus 21.8%; P = 0.045). We conclude that stem cell markers notch-1 and numb of eutopic en...
Source: Reproductive BioMedicine Online - Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: research