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FOXL2 in Human Endometrium: Hyperexpressed in Endometriosis

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Abstract

The present study investigated expression and protein localization of FOXL2 messenger RNA (mRNA) in endometrium of healthy women and in patients with endometriosis during endometrial cycle. In endometriotic lesions, FOXL2 mRNA and protein were evaluated and a possible correlation with activin A mRNA expression changes was also studied. Endometrium was collected from healthy women (n = 52) and from women with endometriosis (n = 31) by hysteroscopy; endometriotic tissues were collected by laparoscopy (n = 38). FOXL2 gene expression analysis in endometrium of healthy women showed a significant expression and no significant changes in mRNA levels between proliferative and secretory phases; a similar pattern was observed in endometrium of patients with endometriosis. Immunohistochemical evaluation showed that FOXL2 protein localized in stromal and glandular cells and colocalized with SUMO-1. FOXL2 mRNA expression was 3-fold higher in endometriosis than in healthy endometrium (P < .01) and a positive correlation between FOXL2 and activin A mRNA was found (P < .05) in endometriosis. In conclusion, FOXL2 mRNA expression and its protein localization do not change during endometrial cycle in eutopic endometrium from healthy individuals or patients with endometriosis; the hyperexpression of FOXL2 in endometriotic lesions suggests an involvement of this transcriptional regulator, probably associated with activin A expression and related to the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Policlinico “Santa Maria alle Scotte,”, Viale Bracci, Siena, 53100, Italy

    Laura Governini PhD, Patrizia Carrarelli BSc, Vincenzo De Leo MD, Alice Luddi PhD, Felice Arcuri PhD, Paola Piomboni PhD & Felice Petraglia MD

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

    Ana Luiza Lunardi Rocha MD

  3. Department of Gynecology Obstetrics II and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, AP-HP, CHU Cochin, Paris, France

    Charles Chapron MD

  4. The Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Louise M. Bilezikjian PhD

Authors
  1. Laura Governini PhD
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  2. Patrizia Carrarelli BSc
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  3. Ana Luiza Lunardi Rocha MD
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  4. Vincenzo De Leo MD
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  9. Louise M. Bilezikjian PhD
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  10. Felice Petraglia MD
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Correspondence to Felice Petraglia MD.

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Governini, L., Carrarelli, P., Rocha, A.L.L. et al. FOXL2 in Human Endometrium: Hyperexpressed in Endometriosis. Reprod. Sci. 21, 1249–1255 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719114522549

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719114522549

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