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Estradiol-mediated enhancement of the human ectocervical epithelial barrier correlates with desmoglein-1 expression in the follicular menstrual phase
Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Center for Molecular Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden.
Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Center for Molecular Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden.
Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Center for Molecular Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden.
Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Center for Molecular Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden.
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2024 (English)In: Frontiers in Endocrinology, E-ISSN 1664-2392, Vol. 15, article id 1454006Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: The 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. Methods: Mucosal 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. Results: Unsupervised 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. Conclusion: We 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.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Frontiers Media SA , 2024. Vol. 15, article id 1454006
Keywords [en]
desmoglein-1, ectocervix, estradiol, gene expression, menstrual cycle, progesterone, protein marker, sexually transmitted infections
National Category
Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-355474DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1454006ISI: 001337091000001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85207028967OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-355474DiVA, id: diva2:1909462
Note

QC 20241104

Available from: 2024-10-30 Created: 2024-10-30 Last updated: 2025-02-11Bibliographically approved

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Bergström, SofiaMånberg, AnnaNilsson, Peter

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