Assessment of MMP14, CAV2, CLU and SPARCL1 expression profiles in endometriosis

Abstract

Endometriotic cells exhibit a notable degree of invasiveness and some characteristics of tissue remodeling underlying lesion formation. In this regard, do matrix metalloproteinases 14 (MMP14) and other related genes such as SPARC-like protein 1 (SPARCL1), caveolin 2 (CAV2), and clusterin (CLU) exert any significant influence in the processes of endometriosis development and pathophysiology is not apparent. We aim to assess whether these genes could serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers in endometriosis. Microarray-based gene expression analysis was performed on total RNA extracted from endometriotic tissue samples treated with and without gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa). The GnRHa untreated patients were considered the control group. The validation of genes was performed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). qRT-PCR analysis showed significant downregulation in the expression of MMP14 (p = 0.024), CAV2 (p = 0.017), and upregulation of CLU (p = 0.005) in endometriosis patients treated with GnRHa. SPARCL1 did not show any significant (p = 0.30) change in the expression compared to the control group. These data have the potential to contribute to the comprehension of the molecular pathways implicated in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix, which is a vital step for the physiology of the endometrium. Based on the result, it is concluded that changes in the expression of MMP14, CAV2, and CLU post-treatment imply their role in the pathophysiology of endometriosis and may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker of endometriosis in response to GnRHa treatment in patients with ovarian endometrioma.

Keywords: CAV2; CLU; Diagnostic Biomarkers; Endometriosis; MMP14; Matrix metalloproteases; SPARCL1.