Two-way communication between endometrial stromal cells and monocytes

Immune system cells and cells of the endometrium have long been proposed to interact in both physiological and pathological processes. The current study was undertaken to examine communication between cultured monocytes and endometrial stromal cells and also to assess responses of endometrial stromal cells for treatment with estradiol (E) in the absence and presence of medroxyprogesterone acetate (P). A telomerase-immortalized human endometrial stromal cell (T-HESC) line and the U937 monocyte cell line were used. Telomerase-immortalized human endometrial stromal cells were treated with E +/- P +/- monocyte conditioned medium; U937 were treated +/- T-HESC conditioned medium. Gene expression in response to treatment was examined by DNA microarray. Bidirectional communication, as demonstrated by changes in gene expression, clearly occurred between U937 monocytes and T-HESC.