Estradiol-mediated enhancement of the human ectocervical epithelial barrier correlates with desmoglein-1 expression in the follicular menstrual phase
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PROVIDER: PRJNA1143420 | ENA |
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Project description:Introduction: Structural integrity of the cervical epithelial barrier is crucial for defending the female reproductive tract against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Female sex hormones, estradiol and progesterone, play an important role in modulating this epithelial barrier. However, the influence of fluctuating estradiol and progesterone on ectocervical tissue gene and protein expression in naturally cycling women at high risk for sexually transmitted infections is not well understood. Methods: Ectocervical biopsies, cervicovaginal lavage fluid, and venous blood samples were collected from naturally cycling Kenyan female sex workers at two time points, separated by 2 weeks. The first time point represented the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and the second time point represented the follicular phase. Plasma estradiol and progesterone levels were measured at each time point. Ectocervical tissues were analyzed by RNA-sequencing and in situ immunofluorescence staining. Cervicovaginal lavage samples were evaluated using antibody-based protein profiling. Results: Employing a systems biology approach, we demonstrated that high plasma estradiol levels enhanced ectocervical epithelial integrity. These findings were more pronounced in samples from the follicular phase (when progesterone and estradiol levels were significantly lower) and included increased expression, and more intact distribution, of the desmosomal cadherin DSG1. The effects of progesterone on gene and protein levels, as well as on intact tissue (as visualized by in situ staining), were modest throughout the menstrual cycle. Both estradiol and progesterone levels had limited influence on mucosal immune factors. Conclusion: Estradiol levels were associated with modulation of cervical epithelial barrier integrity, including the expression and distribution of DSG1, during the follicular phase of natural menstrual cycles in Kenyan sex workers.
2025-01-17 | GSE273823 | GEO
Project description:BackgroundThe cervicovaginal epithelial barrier is crucial for defending the female reproductive tract against sexually transmitted infections. Hormones, specifically estradiol and progesterone, along with their respective receptor expressions, play an important role in modulating this barrier. However, the influence of estradiol and progesterone on gene and protein expression in the ectocervical mucosa of naturally cycling women is not well understood.MethodsMucosal and blood samples were collected from Kenyan female sex workers at high risk of sexually transmitted infections. All samples were obtained at two time points, separated by two weeks, aiming for the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Ectocervical tissue biopsies were analyzed by RNA-sequencing and in situ immunofluorescence staining, cervicovaginal lavage samples (CVL) were evaluated using protein profiling, and plasma samples were analyzed for hormone levels.ResultsUnsupervised clustering of RNA-sequencing data was performed using Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). In the follicular phase, estradiol levels positively correlated with a gene module representing epithelial structure and function, and negatively correlated with a gene module representing cell cycle regulation. These correlations were confirmed using regression analysis including adjustment for bacterial vaginosis status. Using WGCNA, no gene module correlated with progesterone levels in the follicular phase. In the luteal phase, no gene module correlated with either estradiol or progesterone levels. Protein profiling on CVL revealed that higher levels of estradiol during the follicular phase correlated with increased expression of epithelial barrier integrity markers, including DSG1. This contrasted to the limited correlations of protein expression with estradiol levels in the luteal phase. In situ imaging analysis confirmed that higher estradiol levels during the follicular phase correlated with increased DSG1 expression.ConclusionWe demonstrate that estradiol levels positively correlate with specific markers of ectocervical epithelial structure and function, particularly DSG1, during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Neither progesterone levels during the follicular phase nor estradiol and progesterone levels during the luteal phase correlated with any specific sets of gene markers. These findings align with the expression of estradiol and progesterone receptors in the ectocervical epithelium during these menstrual phases.
| S-EPMC11493707 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Roblitz2013 - Menstrual Cycle following GnRH analogue administration
The model describes the menstrual cycle feedback mechanisms. GnRH, FSH, LH, E2, P4, inbibins A and B, and follicular development are modelled. The model predicts hormonal changes following GnRH analogue administration. Simulation results agree with measurements of hormone blood concentrations. The model gives insight into mechanisms underlying gonadotropin supression.
This model is described in the article:
A mathematical model of the human menstrual cycle for the administration of GnRH analogues.
Röblitz S, Stötzel C, Deuflhard P, Jones HM, Azulay DO, van der Graaf PH, Martin SW.
J. Theor. Biol. 2013 Mar; 321: 8-27
Abstract:
The paper presents a differential equation model for the feedback mechanisms between gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), development of follicles and corpus luteum, and the production of estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), inhibin A (IhA), and inhibin B (IhB) during the female menstrual cycle. Compared to earlier human cycle models, there are three important differences: The model presented here (a) does not involve any delay equations, (b) is based on a deterministic modeling of the GnRH pulse pattern, and (c) contains less differential equations and less parameters. These differences allow for a faster simulation and parameter identification. The focus is on modeling GnRH-receptor binding, in particular, by inclusion of a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model for a GnRH agonist, Nafarelin, and a GnRH antagonist, Cetrorelix, into the menstrual cycle model. The final mathematical model describes the hormone profiles (LH, FSH, P4, E2) throughout the menstrual cycle of 12 healthy women. It correctly predicts hormonal changes following single and multiple dose administration of Nafarelin or Cetrorelix at different stages in the cycle.
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2024-09-02 | BIOMD0000000494 | BioModels
Project description:Despite extensive studies suggesting increased susceptibility to HIV during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, there is limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved. We aimed to explore the ectocervical and endocervical tissue transcriptomes during the proliferative and secretory phases of the cycle using RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to identify potential signatures of susceptibility to HIV. We utilized hysterectomy tissue specimens from subjects not using hormonal contraception/treatment for gynecological conditions. Ectocervical (n=10) and endocervical tissues (n=15) were used for this study. The cycle phase was determined by assessing the histopathology of hematoxylin-and-eosin stained sections of the endometrial mucosa by gynecologic pathologists. Total RNA was isolated from tissues frozen in RNAlater (Ambion) following manufacturer’s instructions (Qiagen RNeasy Fibrous Tissue Mini Kit). After extraction, the quality and the purity of the RNA were measured by the Agilent Bioanalyzer (Agilent, Santa Clara, CA). RNA was labeled and sequenced at the RU Genomics center by using Illumina TruSeq technology (75bp, >30M coverage). The data were analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software (QIAGEN Inc., https://www.qiagenbioinformatics.com/products/ingenuitypathway-analysis). To inquire into changes in gene expression irrespectively of p-value cut off, pre-ranked genes based on proliferative vs. secretory phase expression were subjected to Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) against the Hallmark Gene sets (H) and Immunologic Signatures Gene sets (collection C7) from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB)(http://software.broadinstitute.org/gsea/msigdb/index.jsp). Our data show menstrual cycle phase-associated changes in the transcriptomic landscape of the endocervix and ectocervix, some of which may contribute to changes in HIV susceptibility.
2019-09-25 | GSE122248 | GEO
Project description:We conducted a prospective, open-label study to determine the effect of the NuvaRing on gene expression in the endocervix and immune-related protein expression in cervicovaginal secretions. Women provided endocervical cytobrush samples during the luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle (as determined by progesterone levels) as well as during NuvaRing use. Gene expression was measured using Illumina Human HT12 v4 BeadChip microarrays. We compared the NuvaRing visit to each phase of the menstrual cycle separately, as well as follicular and luteal phase samples to each other, adjusting for technical batch, presence of blood in vaginal discharge, and BV status by Nugent score, and blocking on participant. We found that gene expression in the endocervical canal changed across the menstrual cycle and in response to NuvaRing use. In particular, we observed a continuum of expression of immune-related genes and gene sets in the endocervical canal: highest during NuvaRing use, intermediate in the follicular phase, and lowest in the luteal phase.
2020-12-30 | GSE142058 | GEO
Project description:The injectable contraceptive, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), is associated with compromised cervical mucosal barriers. High-resolution spatial transcriptomics is applied here to reveal the spatial localization of these altered molecular markers. Ectocervical tissue samples from Kenyan sex workers using DMPA, or non-hormonal contraceptives, underwent spatial transcriptomics and gene set enrichment analyses. Integrated systemic estradiol levels and bulk tissue gene expression data from a larger cohort enhanced the study’s scope. Unsupervised clustering unveiled four epithelial and seven submucosal layers, showcasing spatially restricted and diverse functional epithelial responses, and a less structured submucosal spatial ordering. DMPA associated with mucosal-wide immunoglobulin gene upregulation, verified by CD20+ B-cell immunostaining, and upregulated immune markers adjacent to the basal membrane. Downregulated genes represented spatially restricted disrupted epithelial barrier integrity and submucosal extracellular matrix dysfunction. The transcriptional profile was associated with markers of estrogen regulation. Collectively, our findings reveal estrogen-modulated distinct ectocervical transcriptional profiles associated with DMPA usage. While upregulation of immunoglobulin genes occurs throughout the mucosa, activation of innate immune responses and dysregulation of barrier integrity markers are spatially restricted. These results extend previous analyses using bulk transcriptomics and provide insights into the molecular landscape influenced by DMPA, shedding light on contraceptive effects and health implications.
2025-06-19 | GSE299708 | GEO
Project description:The endometrium undergoes profound progesterone-driven remodeling during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle in a process called decidualization. In the absence of pregnancy, circulating progesterone levels fall and tissue-wide inflammation and influx of neutrophils precede tissue breakdown and menstrual shedding. These changes are accompanied by wide-scale transcriptomic changes that co-ordinate temporal changes throughout the secretory phase. Here, we sequenced whole endometrial biopsies to identify molecular biomarkers that mark specific stages of the secretory phase, including pre-menstrual tissues. 20 biopsies were timed to specific phases of the secretory cycle based on the donor’s reported LH, the physical morphology of tissues observed via IHC and serum progesterone levels.
2024-10-27 | GSE246529 | GEO
Project description:Introduction: Chronic immune activation is a hallmark of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection that significantly impacts disease pathogenesis. However, in-depth studies characterizing the immunological landscape of the ectocervix during chronic HIV infection remain scarce despite the importance of this tissue site for HIV transmission. Methods: Ectocervical tissue samples were obtained from antiretroviral-naïve HIV-seropositive and -seronegative Kenyan female sex workers. Sampeling aimed for the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. These samples were assessed by spatial transcriptomics and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. We further performed multi-epitope ligand cartography (MELC) using an in situ staining panel that included 17 markers of primarily T cell–mediated immune responses. Results: Spatial transcriptomics revealed tissue-wide immune activation encompassing immune responses associated with chronic HIV infection. First, both the epithelial and submucosal compartments showed diverse but significant upregulation of humoral immune responses, as indicated by the expression of several antibody-related genes. Second, an antiviral state–associated cellular immunity was also observed in the HIV-seropositive group, characterized by upregulation of genes involved in interferon signaling across the mucosal tissue and a more spatially restricted mucosal expression of genes related to T cell activity and effector functions relative to the HIV-seronegative group. Additionally, HIV associated structural alterations were evident within both compartments. Downregulated genes across the epithelium were mainly linked to epithelial integrity, with the outer layer involved in terminal differentiation and the inner layer associated with epithelial structure. MELC analysis further revealed a significantly increased ectocervical leukocyte population in HIV-seropositive participants, primarily driven by an increase in CD8+ T cells while the CD4+ T cell population remained stable. Consistent with our spatial transcriptomics data, T cells from HIV-seropositive participants showed an increased effector phenotype, defined by elevated expression of various granzymes. Conclusion: By combining spatial transcriptomics and MELC, we identified significant HIV-associated cervical immune activity driven by induction of both T and B cell activity, together with a general antiviral state characterized by sustained interferon induction. These findings underscore that chronic HIV infection is associated with an altered ectocervical mucosal immune landscape years after primary infection. This sheds light on HIV pathogenesis at distant local sites and complements current knowledge on HIV-associated systemic immune activation.
2025-02-26 | GSE290350 | GEO
Project description:Impact of the menstrual cycle and ethinyl estradiol/etonogestrel contraceptive vaginal ring on granulysin and other mucosal immune mediators
| PRJNA595918 | ENA
Project description:The ability to predict the type of tissues or cells from molecular profiles of crime scene samples has practical implications in forensics. In order to identify body fluid-specific DNA methylation changes, genome-wide DNA methylation profiling was carried out for body fluids including menstrual blood and vaginal fluid obtained from 3 female donors aged 19, 27 and 38 years. The Illumina Infinium 450k Human DNA methylation Beadchip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 450,000 CpGs in bisulfite converted DNA. Samples included 3 of each vaginal fluid and menstrual bloods collected on the first, second and third days of menstrual bleeding.
2016-05-14 | GSE77283 | GEO