Prokineticin 1, homeobox A10, and progesterone receptor messenger ribonucleic acid expression in primary cultures of endometrial stromal cells isolated from endometrium of healthy women and from eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine prokineticin 1 (PROK1), homeobox (HOX) A10, and P receptor (PR) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression in primary cultures of endometrial stromal cells (ESC) obtained from eutopic endometrial samples of patients with endometriosis and to clarify whether in vitro steroid hormone dependence of PROK1 gene expression is altered in endometriosis.

DESIGN: Prospective laboratory study.

SETTING: Tertiary university hospital.

PATIENT(S): Twelve normal women (controls) and 12 patients affected by moderate to severe endometriosis in the midsecretory phase of the menstrual cycle.

INTERVENTION(S): Endometrial specimens were obtained from control women and from women affected by endometriosis; ESC were isolated from endometrial biopsies, and primary cultures were established.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of PROK1, HOXA10, and PR mRNA expression in ESC after 1-4 days of steroid hormone treatment and after decidual differentiation.

RESULT(S): Contrary to ESC from control women, in ESC obtained from women affected by endometriosis PROK1 and PR mRNA expression was not induced by 1-4 days of treatment with steroid hormones. Nevertheless, when ESC from both groups of women were differentiated to decidual phenotype, PROK1 mRNA was up-regulated and PR and HOXA10 mRNA were down-regulated to the same extent.

CONCLUSION(S): Our results provide additional evidence for P resistance in endometriosis.