Expression of miR-21 &IL-4 in endometriosis

Endometriosis characterized with existence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus. Fibrosis of ectopic lesions is an important feature of endometriosis. IL-4 induces fibrosis via fibroblast proliferation, collagen production and myofibroblast differentiation. Increasing of miR-21 expression promotes fibroblast activation and fibrosis expansion. The aim of study was to evaluate the expression of miR-21 and its relationship with IL-4 gene expression in endometrial ectopic and eutopic tissues of endometriosis patients. Ectopic and eutopic tissue samples were taken from 20 women with endometriosis, and control samples were taken from the endometrium of 20 endometriosis-free women. The relative expression of IL-4 and miR-21 evaluated by Real Time PCR. IL-4 relative gene expression was significantly increased in ectopic tissue compared to eutopic (p = 0.025) and control tissue (p = 0.021). The relative expression of miR-21 gene in ectopic tissue was increased compared to eutopic (p = 0.850) and control tissue (p = 0.978) but these differences were not significant. Also, the correlation between IL-4 and miR-21 relative gene expression was not significant (p = 0.083). The increased expression of miR-21 in endometrium of women with endometriosis may upregulate the IL-4 gene expression and lead to fibrosis. Further studies may suggest miR-21 and IL-4 as candidates for diagnosis of endometriosis.