Integrated Analysis of Long Non-coding RNAs and mRNAs in TGF-β1-induced Fibrosis in Endometrial Stromal Cells. undefined

Endometrial fibrosis is the primary pathological event in the development of intrauterine adhesion (IUA). During fibrogenesis, human endometrial stromal cells (hESCs) transdifferentiate into myofibroblast cells during epithelial-mensenchymal transition (EMT). Some lncRNAs has been demonstrated to involve in IUA, but the lncRNA and mRNA profiles during the EMT process of endometrial fibrosis have not been explored. By RNA-Seq, 327 mRNAs and 366 lncRNAs were identified that were differentially expressed in TGF-β1-treated hESCs compared to hESCs. Functional analyses revealed that the dysregulated mRNAs were mainly enriched in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, transcriptional misregulation in cancer, and JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Twenty-one lncRNA-mRNA pairs, including 17 lncRNAs and 10 mRNAs, were identified in the lncRNA-mRNA-pathway network. Key lncRNAs, including ZNNT1, LOC101929577, LOC105370360, and LUCAT1, might participate in EMT of hESCs by regulating IL11, IGF2, COL1A2, and AREG, respectively, via the TGF-β signaling pathway. These findings provide valuable insight into novel therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of IUA.