Genome-wide profiling of long noncoding ribonucleic acid expression patterns in ovarian endometriosis by microarray

Objective: To profile the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expression patterns in ovarian ectopic endometrial tissue compared with paired eutopic endometrial tissue.

Design: Genome-wide expression analysis of human tissue.

Setting: University hospital.

Patient(s): Twenty-five patients receiving laparoscopic surgeries for ovarian endometriosis.

Intervention(s): Ovarian ectopic endometrial tissue was obtained during surgery. Eutopic endometrial tissue was taken by curettage at the same time.

Main outcome measure(s): Ectopic and eutopic endometrial lncRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels were determined by microarray in four patients; quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction validation of 10 differentially expressed lncRNAs was conducted in another 21 patients. The lncRNAs' functions were predicted through coexpressed mRNA annotations.

Result(s): A total of 948 lncRNA transcripts and 4,088 mRNA transcripts were dysregulated in ectopic endometrial tissue, compared with paired eutopic endometrial tissue. The expressions of the 10 chosen lncRNAs were validated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Functional analysis suggests that several groups of lncRNAs may participate in biological pathways related to endometriosis by cis- and/or trans-regulation of protein-coding genes.

Conclusion(s): This study constitutes the first report of lncRNA expression patterns in human ectopic and eutopic endometrial tissue. Nearly 1,000 dysregulated lncRNA transcripts are found by microarray.