Expression of growth-regulated oncogene β in an endometrial epithelial cell line, HHUA, and cultured human endometrial cells

It has been demonstrated that human endometrial epithelial cells (EEC) and stromal cells (ESC) produce a variety of chemokines in vivo and in vitro. Growth-regulated oncogene (GRO)beta, which belongs to the CXC chemokine family, is a potent chemoattractant for neutrophils. To evaluate the regulation of GRObeta expression in the endometrium, the production of GRObeta by an EEC line, HHUA, and cultured ESC stimulated with various inflammatory mediators was examined by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Unstimulated HHUA and ESC constitutively secreted GRObeta. Interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-a and interferon-gamma significantly stimulated the expression of GROP by HHUA and ESC. Lipopolysaccharide also stimulated the expression of GROP by ESC, but not by HHUA. It is suggested that, in the human endometrium, the regulation of GROP expression is distinct from that of other CXC chemokines expressed in the endometrium, such as GROalpha and interleukin-8. The modulation of the GROP concentration in the endometrium by inflammatory mediators may contribute to the normal and pathological processes of human reproduction by regulating the trafficking of neutrophils into the endometrium. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.