Abstract
Objective: To assess whether hormonal agents used in the medical treatment of endometriosis, such as danazol and GnRH agonist, exert direct regulatory action on monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) expression by endometrial epithelial cells. Design: Primary cultures of epithelial cells isolated from human endometrium were exposed to different concentrations of cytokines and steroid hormone analogs. Expression of MCP-1 was analyzed at the levels of protein and messenger RNA. Setting: Gynecology clinic and laboratory of endocrinology of reproduction. Patient(s): Women presenting for infertility or pelvic pain in whom endometriosis was diagnosed by using laparoscopy. Intervention(s): Endometrial tissue biopsy performed at laparoscopy. Main Outcome Measure(s): Secretion of MCP-1 protein was measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and mRNA steady-state levels were measured by performing Northern blot analysis. Result(s): Buserelin acetate, a GnRH agonist (0.1–10 ng/mL), had no significant effect on MCP-1 expression, whereas danazol (10 −7–10 −5 M), a testosterone analog, and dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid hormone (10 −12–10 −6M), showed a direct and a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on MCP-1 expression. This effect occurred at the level of protein and mRNA. Conclusion(s): The findings of the study may affect understanding of the mechanisms by which hormonal treatments act on endometriosis and influence its clinical manifestations.
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