Exploring Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition Signals in Endometriosis Diagnosis and In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes

Endometriosis (EMS) pathogenesis has been related to the release of inflammatory mediators in peritoneal fluid, creating an altered microenvironment that leads to low-grade oocyte/embryos and to the reduction of implantation rates. The Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), an inflammation-related process, can be a further contributing factor to EMS. This study aimed to investigate, among various cytokines and EMT markers (Cadherins, TGF-β, HIF-1α), diagnostic markers of EMS and prognostic factors of in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Herein, EMS patients manifested higher serum levels of the inflammatory molecules IL-6, IL-8, and IL-12 and a decrease in the concentrations of the anti-inflammatory IL-10. Moreover, biochemical markers associated with the EMT process were more elevated in serum and follicular fluid (FF) of EMS patients than in controls. At the end, the number of good-quality embryos was inversely related to serum IL-6 and EMT markers. Interestingly, serum IL-6 and FF IL-10 concentrations differentiated EMS patients from controls. Finally, serum IL-8 and E-Cadherin levels, as well as FF IL-10, predicted positive IVF outcome with great accuracy. Our data confirm the pivotal role of inflammatory mediators (i.e., IL-6 and IL-10) in EMS pathogenesis and suggest that EMT-related markers are elevated in EMS patients and can be predictive of IVF outcome.

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Upregulation of FBXW7 Suppresses Renal Cancer Metastasis and Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition

Disease Markers ◽

10.1155/2017/8276939 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Yangke Cai ◽

Meng Zhang ◽

Xiaofu Qiu ◽

Bingwei Wang ◽

Yu Fu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Lines ◽

Renal Cell ◽

Cancer Metastasis ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Coding Region ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Renal Cell Line ◽

Emt Markers

Background and Objective. FBXW7, known as a general tumor suppressor, is commonly lowly expressed in metastatic malignancies. We aim to investigate the potential influence of FBXW7 overexpression on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis. Methods. We employed quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB) to quantify the FBXW7 expression in RCC cell lines. Upregulation of FBXW7 was performed in vitro on RCC cells using the lentivirus covering coding region FBXW7 cDNA sequence, and functional tests were performed to verify FBXW7 overexpression on migration and invasion of RCC cells. Moreover, WB was employed to determine the expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-13, as well as EMT markers in the transfected RCC cells. Results. FBXW7 was significantly downregulated in RCC cell lines, dominated by 786-O and ACHN, when compared to normal renal cell line HK-2. Moreover, upregulation of FBXW7 in 786-O and ACHN cell lines significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion, as well as EMT. Present study also showed that FBXW7 was involved in the migration and invasion of RCC cells via regulating the expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-13. Conclusion. Our findings demonstrate that upregulation of FBXW7 inhibits RCC metastasis and EMT. FBXW7 is a potential therapeutic target for RCC patients.

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