Table2_The cervical transcriptome changes during the menstrual cycle but does not predict the window of implantation.docx

IntroductionThe expression of genes in female reproductive organs is influenced by the cyclic changes in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle. While the molecular changes in the endometrium that facilitate embryo implantation have been extensively studied, there is limited knowledge about the impact of the menstrual cycle on cervical cells. Cervical cells can be easily and routinely collected using a cytobrush during gynecological examination, offering a standardized approach for diagnostic testing. In this study we investigated how the transcriptome of cervical cells changes during the menstrual cycle and assessed the utility of these cells to determine endometrial receptivity.
MethodsEndocervical cells were collected with cytobrushes from 16 healthy women at different menstrual cycle phases in natural cycles and from four women undergoing hormonal replacement cycles. RNA sequencing was applied to gain insight into the transcriptome of cervical cells.
ResultsTranscriptome analysis identified four differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between early- and mid-secretory samples, suggesting that the transcriptome of cervical cells does not change significantly during the opening of the implantation window. The most differences appeared during the transition to the late secretory phase (2136 DEGs) before the onset of menstruation. Cervical cells collected during hormonal replacement cycles showed 1899 DEGs enriched in immune system processes.
ConclusionsThe results of our study suggested that cervical cells undergo moderate transcriptomic changes throughout the menstrual cycle; however, these changes do not reflect the gene expression pattern of endometrial tissue and offer little or no potential for endometrial receptivity diagnostics.

引言
女性生殖器官的基因表达会受到月经周期内激素水平周期性波动的影响。尽管学界已针对介导胚胎着床的子宫内膜（endometrium）分子变化开展了大量研究，但目前对月经周期如何影响宫颈细胞的认知仍较为有限。宫颈细胞可在妇科检查中通过细胞刷（cytobrush）便捷且常规地采集，为诊断检测提供了标准化的采样方案。本研究探究了宫颈细胞转录组（transcriptome）在月经周期中的变化规律，并评估了此类细胞用于判断子宫内膜容受性（endometrial receptivity）的应用潜力。
方法
本研究通过细胞刷采集了16名处于自然月经周期不同阶段的健康女性，以及4名接受激素替代周期治疗的女性的宫颈管细胞（endocervical cells）。随后采用RNA测序（RNA sequencing）技术解析宫颈细胞的转录组特征。
结果
转录组分析在分泌早期与分泌中期的样本之间鉴定出4个差异表达基因（differentially expressed genes, DEGs），这表明宫颈细胞的转录组在着床窗口（implantation window）开放期间无显著变化。差异最显著的阶段出现在月经来潮前过渡至分泌晚期时（共鉴定出2136个DEGs）。激素替代周期采集的宫颈细胞中，有1899个DEGs显著富集于免疫系统相关生物学过程。
结论
本研究结果显示，宫颈细胞的转录组在整个月经周期中会发生中度变化；然而，此类变化并不能反映子宫内膜组织的基因表达模式，因此其用于子宫内膜容受性诊断的潜力极低，甚至几乎不具备该应用价值。