Phenotype and biological characteristics of endometrial mesenchymal stem/stromal cells: A comparison between intrauterine adhesion patients and healthy women.

PROBLEM: Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is a uterine disorder with partial or total obstruction of the uterine cavity and/or the cervical canal primarily caused by intrauterine operations and infections. It is the most common cause of uterine infertility and recurrent abortion. However, the reasons for endometrium repair disorders in patients with IUA are still unclear. While increasing evidence demonstrates that endometrial mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (EMSCs) contribute to the regeneration and repair of endometrium, the roles of EMSCs in the pathogenesis of IUA have not been reported.

METHODS AND STUDY: We investigated the differences of phenotype and biological characteristics between EMSCs from women with IUA and healthy women. Firstly, the fibrosis of endometrium were measured by immunohistochemistry and Masson staining. Second, we used immunofluorescence to detect the location of EMSCs in endometrial tissue, and the proportion of CD146+ CD140b+ in the two groups was compared by flow cytometry. Then, plate colony formation experiment, CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, would-healing assay, and transwell invasion experiment were used to compare the cloning ability, proliferation, cell cycle, migration and invasion capabilities respectively. Finally, we compared the potential angiogenesis and immunosuppression capabilities.

RESULTS

Our results showed that there were fewer CD146+ CD140b+ cells in patients with IUA, and the clone-forming, migration, invasion, angiogenic and immunosuppressive abilities of the EMSCs of patients with IUA were significantly decreased compared with those of healthy women.

CONCLUSION

There are some differences between the EMSCs of IUA patients and healthy women, which may be related to the occurrence of IUA and dysfunction of endometrium.