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Author Spotlight: Advancing Reproductive Immunology with a Protocol for the Quantitative Evaluation of Endometrial Immune Cells
Published on: October 13, 2023
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Single-cell transcriptome analysis reveals endometrial immune microenvironment in minimal/mild endometriosis
Xin Huang1,2,3, Lukanxuan Wu1,2,3, Tianjiao Pei1,2,3
1Division of Reproductive Medicine, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Clinical and Experimental Immunology
|March 4, 2023
Summary
Endometriosis alters the uterine lining's immune cells and reduces receptive epithelial cells, contributing to infertility. This study reveals key immune and cellular changes in the endometrium of women with endometriosis.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive immunology
- Single-cell genomics
- Endometrial biology
Background:
- Endometriosis is a prevalent inflammatory condition in reproductive-aged women, linked to an abnormal uterine immune environment and infertility.
- Understanding the cellular and molecular dynamics of the endometrium in endometriosis is crucial for addressing associated infertility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively analyze endometrial leukocyte types, inflammatory milieu, and impaired receptivity at single-cell resolution in women with endometriosis.
- To identify cellular and molecular differences in the endometrium between endometriosis patients and controls during the window of implantation.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell RNA sequencing of 138,057 endometrial cells from 6 endometriosis patients and 7 controls using the 10x Genomics platform.
- Analysis of cell type proportions, cytokine secretion profiles, and gene expression patterns.
- Trajectory and ligand-receptor interaction analyses to understand cellular communication and differentiation.
Main Results:
- A specific epithelial cell type (PAEP+, CXCL14+) crucial for implantation was found to be reduced in endometriosis patients.
- Endometrial immune cell populations showed altered cyclical variation in endometriosis compared to controls.
- Immune cells in endometriosis exhibited elevated proinflammatory cytokine levels and distinct IL-10 secretion patterns compared to controls.
- Secretory phase epithelial cells were decreased in endometriosis, and 11 ligand-receptor pairs were upregulated between immune and epithelial cells during the window of implantation.
Conclusions:
- Endometriosis is characterized by a dysregulated endometrial immune microenvironment and a decrease in receptive epithelial cells.
- These cellular and immune alterations provide new insights into the mechanisms of impaired endometrial receptivity and infertility in endometriosis.
- The findings highlight potential targets for therapeutic interventions aimed at improving fertility in women with endometriosis.
