Epigenetics of Endometriosis: Methylation and expression analysis of estrogen related metabolic enzimes in cultured endometrium of patients with deep and superficial endometriosis after progesterone exposure.

• Grant number: 12/08419-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2012
• End date: September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Schor
• Grantee: Gil Kamergorodsky
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

During the last decades, endometriosis has become one of the most enigmatic chronic inflammatory diseases related to the female genital tract. Disease that affects 10-15% of women in reproductive age, has a great association with chronic pain, infertility and morbidity. Although much basic and clinical research over the years, the molecular mechanisms related to the pathogenesis of endometriosis remain unclear. Through an imbalance of estrogen may predispose the endometrium to an uncontrolled cell cycle which in turn can contribute to the emergence of diseases such as endometriosis. The epigenetic phenomenon of DNA methylation has been shown as a modifier of the expression of enzymes responsible for conversion and metabolism of estrogens. Thus, our project aims to analyze the degree of methylation of promoter regions and expression of the enzyme 17beta-HSD 1, 2, and 4 star, sulfotransferase (SULT1E1), sulfatase (STS) and aromatase (CYP19), before and after exposure to progesterone, through the techniques of quantitative PCR in real time, as well as analyze the degree of methylation of CpG islands sequences when present in the promoter region of these same genes mentioned above, in patients with and without endometriosis.