PTGS2 down-regulation in cumulus cells of infertile women with endometriosis.

A deleterious effect of endometriosis on oocyte quality has been proposed. Evidence suggests that cumulus cells could be used as indirect biomarkers of oocyte quality. The PTGS2 gene, which encodes cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), is deregulated in endometriotic lesions and plays a crucial role in the acquisition of oocyte competence. To date, research evaluating PTGS2 expression in cumulus cells of infertile patients with endometriosis has not been conducted. The aim this study was to compare the expression levels of PTGS2 in cumulus cells of infertile women, with and without endometriosis, undergoing ovarian stimulation for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Therefore, a case-control study compared PTGS2 gene expression in the cumulus cells of 38 infertile patients with endometriosis and 40 without, using real-time polymerase chain reaction. For the first time, decreased expression of PTGS2 was found in cumulus cells of infertile women with endometriosis compared with controls (7.2 ± 10.5 versus 12.4 ± 15.7), which might be related to reduced levels of COX-2 in the cumulus cells of women with the disease. Consequently, we hypothesize that lower transcript levels of PTGS2 in cumulus cells may be involved in the impairment of oocyte quality, suggesting a possible mechanism involved in disease-related infertility.