Expression of inhibin α,matrix metalloproteinase-2 and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1 in luteinized granulosa cells:comparison between women with and without endometriosis

Objective:To assess the differences in expression of inhibin a,MMP-2 and TIMP-1 in luteinized granulosa cells from women with and without endometriosis undergoing in vitro fertilization(IVF),and determine whether inhibin a,MMP-2 and TIMP-1 expressions correlate with the follicle development in patients with endometriosis. Methods:Thirty six infertile patients with stageⅢandⅣendometriosis patients(group A) and 35 tubal infertile and/or male factor patients(group B) attending to the clinic of Jiangsu Provincial Hospital Human Reproductive Center during May 2011 and December 2011 were included in this prospective study.The patients with the number of mature oocyte≤4 were considered as poor responders.According to this,the two groups were further divided into four subgroups:Al group(23 endometriosis patients with normal response),A2 group(13 endometriosis patients with poor response),Bl group(23 controls with normal response) and B2 group(12 controls with poor response).Fasting blood samples were collected on the first day of ovarian stimulation and on the day of hCG administration,and follicle fluid were collected on the day of oocytes retrieved.The concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone(FSH),Luteinizing hormone(LH) and estradiol(E_2) were measured by ECILA.Granulosa was collected from follicle fluid by Percoll method,and Stepone real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR) was used to analysis the expression level of inhibinα,MMP-2 and TIMP-1. Results;The expression of inhibinαin endometriosis group and poor responders in control group were significantly lower than those of the normal responders in control group,in which the alternation of inhibinαexpression was not correlated to the variables of follicle development.Moreover,MMP-2 levels were lower and TIMP-1 levels were higher in both endometriosis and tubal/male infertility poor responders compared to normal ovarian responders.Interestingly,the correlation between MMP-2 or TIMP-1 expression and variables of follicle development in tubal or male infertility patients was observed,but it lost in endometriosis patients. Conclusions:Therefore,the preliminary results suggest that aberrance of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 expression in luteinized granulosa cells might be associated with impairment of follicle development in endometriosis-associated infertility.Although the expression of inhibinαin endometriosis group and poor responders are significantly reduced, there is no correlation between inhibinαmRNA expression and number of oocytes retrieved,or mature oocytes in endometriosis patients and controls.

Objective： To assess the differences in expression of inhibin a, MMP-2 and TIMP-1 in luteinized granulosa cells from women with and without endometriosis undergoing in vitro fertilization （IVF）, and determine whether inhibin α, MMP-2 and TIMP-1 expressions correlate with the follicle development in patients with endometriosis. Methods： Thirty six infertile patients with stage III and IV endometriosis patients （group A） and 35 tubal infertile and/or male factor patients （group B） attending to the clinic of Jiangsu Provincial Hospital Human Reproductive Center during May 2011 and December 2011 were included in this prospective study. The patients with the number of mature oocyte 44 were considered as poor responders. According to this, the two groups were further divided into four subgroups： A1 group （23 endometriosis patients with normal response）, A2 group （13 endometriosis patients with poor response）, B1 group （23 controls with normal response） and B2 group （12 controls with poor response）. Fasting blood samples were collected on the first day of ovarian stimulation and on the day of hCG administration, and follicle fluid were collected on the day of oocytes retrieved. The concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone （FSH）, Luteinizing hormone （LH） and estradiol （Ez） were measured by ECILA. Granulosa was collected from follicle fluid by Percoll method, and Stepone real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR） was used to analysis the expression level of inhibin a, MMP-2 and TIMP-1. Results： The expression of inhibin a in endometriosis group and poor responders in control group were significantly lower than those of the normal responders in control group, in which the alternation of inhibin a expression was not correlated to the variables of follicle development. Moreover, MMP-2 levels were lower and TIMP-1 levels were higher in both endometriosis and tubal/male infertility poor responders compared to normal ovarian responders. Interestingly, the correlation between MMP-2 or TIMP-1 expression and variables of follicle development in tubal or male infertility patients was observed, but it lost in endometriosis patients. Conclusions： Therefore, the preliminary results suggest that aberrance of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 expression in luteinized granulosa cells might be associated with impairment of follicle development in endometriosis-associated infertility. Although the expression of inhibin α in endometriosis group and poor responders are significantly reduced, there is no correlation between inhibin α mRNA expression and number of ooeytes retrieved, or mature oocytes in endometriosis patients and controls.