Levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related mRNA in peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis or gynaecological cancer

Objective: To compare the levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated mRNAs and the clinical characteristics of patients with endometriosis or gynaecological cancer. Methods: This prospective study obtained intraperitoneal fluid samples from female patients that underwent surgery. The levels of ER stress mRNAs in the peritoneal fluid, including C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP), X-box binding protein 1 (sXBP1), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), immunoglobulin heavy chain-binding protein (BiP), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) and protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), were measured using real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction in patients with benign disease without endometriosis (control group), with endometriosis or with gynaecological cancer. Results: This study enrolled 126 patients: 46 control patients; 47 with endometriosis; and 33 with cancer. The levels of CHOP and BiP mRNA were significantly higher in the control group compared with the cancer group. Levels of sXBP1 and ATF6 mRNA were significantly higher in the cancer group than in the control and endometriosis groups. In the endometriosis group, ATF6 mRNA level was inversely correlated with age and positively correlated with serum cancer antigen 125 levels; and ATF6 and PERK mRNA levels were inversely correlated with parity. Conclusion: The levels of ER stress-related mRNAs were related to the pathogenesis of endometriosis and gynaecological cancers.