Establishment and characterization of a novel human endometrial mesenchymal stem cell line from a patient with adenomyosis

Adenomyosis, previously termed “endometriosis interna,” is a widespread disease affecting the female reproductive system and frequently resulting in infertility in women. The aim of this work was to examine the properties of endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (eMSCs) from a patient with adenomyosis. We established the cell line from a patient with adenomyosis and compared the properties of these cells with cells derived from a healthy donor. It was found that patient-derived eMSCs and eMSCs from healthy donors had a fibroblast-like morphology and did not differ in expression of surface markers and adipogenic potential. Karyotype analysis of G-banded metaphase chromosomes was performed in cells of both lines at the six or seventh passages. Cells from the healthy donor mostly had normal karyotype. Karyotype of eMSCs from the patient with adenomyosis usually had chromosomal abnormalities. The abnormalities concerned aneuploidy and nonrandom chromosomes breaks more often involving chromosomes 7 and 11. Although karyotype instability may be a sign of cell transformation, the patient-derived eMSCs stopped cycling after about 26 passages and entered into replicative senescence. This shows that the karyotypic abnormalities that we observed in adenomyosis-derived eMSCs are not relevant to the cell transformation and immortalization in vitro.