Secretion of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 by human uterine epithelium directs monocyte migration in culture.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether primary human uterine epithelial cells in culture are able to influence monocyte chemotaxis and to establish whether the causal agent of chemotaxis is monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1.
DESIGN: Tissue culture study.
SETTING: University medical center. PATIENT(S): Women aged 23 to 53 years who were undergoing hysterectomy (n=7). INTERVENTION(S): Primary human endometrial epithelial cells were acquired from surgical specimens and grown to confluence and high transepithelial resistance. Conditioned media from epithelial cultures were analyzed for the presence of MCP-1 and for capacity to affect monocyte chemotaxis using the THP-1 monocyte line. Antibody neutralization of conditioned media was used to establish the role of MCP-1 in chemotaxis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Assay of conditioned media for MCP-1, quantitative measurement of monocyte chemotaxis to conditioned media, and inhibition of chemotaxis by antibody neutralization of MCP-1. RESULT(S): Primary endometrial epithelial cells in monolayer culture secrete MCP-1 to both the apical and basolateral compartments. Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 was identified as the primary agent of monocyte chemotaxis by antibody neutralization. CONCLUSION(S): These findings suggest that biologically active MCP-1 is secreted into both the uterine lumen as well as the underlying stroma and that it mediates the presence of monocytes, macrophages, and other immune cells in the uterine endometrium.