Clinical trial NCT03444987: The Role of Fibroblast Activation in Uterine Fibroid
Official title: A Novel Insight Into the Role of Fibroblast Activation and Autophagy in Uterine Fibroid
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Uterine Fibroid
Keywords: Uterine fibroid
FAP
Autophagy
Lead sponsor: Assiut University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2018-02-26
Enrollment: 35
Sex: FEMALE
Maximum age (years): 50
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: This study will include 35 premenopausal women (age ˂ 50 year) with uterine fibroids who are diagnosed through clinical gynecological, ultrasound and other auxiliary examinations. All selected patients will exhibit a normal coagulation function.

Brief summary: Uterine fibroids (UFs), also called uterine leiomyomas or myomas, are steroid hormone-responsive, benign tumors of the smooth muscle compartment (myometrium) of the uterus. They are the most common neoplasm affecting women in their reproductive age. It is estimated that up to 77% of women develop UF in their life. UFs are one of the leading causes of hospitalisations for gynaecological disorders and are the most frequent reason for hysterectomy. According to relevant literature, 40%-60% of all the hysterectomies performed are due to the presence of UFs.

Detailed description: * Uterine fibroids (UFs) are steroid hormone-responsive, benign tumors of the smooth muscle compartment (myometrium) of the uterus .They are the most common neoplasm affecting women in their reproductive age. UFs are mainly composed of fibroid cells and a significant ECM component which principally consists of fibroblasts. Previous studies on the pathogenesis of uterine UF have mainly focused on the differentiation and proliferation of fibroid cells. However, the histologic features of fibroid tissue suggest that fibroblasts may play an important role in the generation of UF.
* Fibroblast activation protein (FAP), fibroblast-specific marker, is a 95 kDa cell surface glycoprotein. It is a type II transmembrane serine protease and a member of proline-specific proteases family. Recent studies showed that the high expression of FAP is closely related to the occurrence of UF .Luo et al 2015 were the first who suggested that estrogen could stimulate fibroblast activation. In addition, they revealed that proliferative activity of fibroblast and the expression of FAP were significantly increased after estrogen stimulation. They also found that estrogen could promote the release of cytokines (TGFβ and IGF-1) and ECM components (collagen I, fibronectin, and laminin) from fibroblasts. Furthermore they found that silencing of FAP expression significantly decreased promotion effects of estrogen on TAF suggesting that FAP plays an important role in estrogen-mediated fibroblast activation.
* Autophag (eating of self) is a collection of processes that enables the cells to digest and recycle their cytoplasmic contents, such as toxic protein aggregates, disused organelles and invading microorganisms. Dysregulation in autophagy process have been recently described in many neoplasms. However the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of UFs is still unclear and further understanding of its regulation and significance will be needed.
* The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway is considered the main pathway involved in the initiation and regulation of autophagy. Previous studies found that reduced FAP significantly decreased the expression of phosphorylated AKT suggesting that FAP is an upstream factor modulating the PI3K/AkT. This study will be the first to study the link between fibroblast activation and autophagy in pathogenesis of UF through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Although several types of drugs (mostly antiproliferative agents) are available for UF treatment, none of them were introduced specifically as antifibrotic agents. Targeting such novel signaling pathway may be considered useful for future non surgical treatment of UF affecting both proliferative and fibrotic changes.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

i. Premenopausal women (age ˂ 50) with uterine fibroids who are diagnosed through clinical gynecological, ultrasound and other auxiliary examinations.

ii. Patients who exhibit a normal coagulation function.

Exclusion Criteria

* i. Patients who have a previous history of myomectomy or with ovarian malignancy and borderline tumors ii. Patients who are subsequently diagnosed with uterine adenomyosis. iii. Pregnant women. iv. Patients who receive hormonal treatment within three months before surgery. v. Patients with history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, liver cirrhosis or hematologic disorders.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Comparing FAP and autophagy markers in patient and control groups.
timeFrame: 1 year
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Study signaling pathway linking FAP and autophagy which ma considered as a therapeutic target
timeFrame: 1 year
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Assiut
country: Egypt
facility: Assiut university -Faculty of medicine- Departement of Biochemistry
Study officials:
affiliation: Assiut University
name: Nashwa AbdelGhfar El Maghraby, MD student)
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Assiut University
name: Eman Magdy Mohamed, Lecturer
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
affiliation: Assiut University
name: Ahmed Mohamed Abass, Lecturer
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: McWilliams MM, Chennathukuzhi VM. Recent Advances in Uterine Fibroid Etiology. Semin Reprod Med. 2017 Mar;35(2):181-189. doi: 10.1055/s-0037-1599090. Epub 2017 Mar 9.
citation: Moore AB, Yu L, Swartz CD, Zheng X, Wang L, Castro L, Kissling GE, Walmer DK, Robboy SJ, Dixon D. Human uterine leiomyoma-derived fibroblasts stimulate uterine leiomyoma cell proliferation and collagen type I production, and activate RTKs and TGF beta receptor signaling in coculture. Cell Commun Signal. 2010 Jun 10;8:10. doi: 10.1186/1478-811X-8-10.
citation: Rasanen K, Vaheri A. Activation of fibroblasts in cancer stroma. Exp Cell Res. 2010 Oct 15;316(17):2713-22. doi: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2010.04.032. Epub 2010 May 6.
citation: Wang H, Wu Q, Liu Z, Luo X, Fan Y, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Hua S, Fu Q, Zhao M, Chen Y, Fang W, Lv X. Downregulation of FAP suppresses cell proliferation and metastasis through PTEN/PI3K/AKT and Ras-ERK signaling in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Cell Death Dis. 2014 Apr 10;5(4):e1155. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2014.122.
citation: Islam MS, Ciavattini A, Petraglia F, Castellucci M, Ciarmela P. Extracellular matrix in uterine leiomyoma pathogenesis: a potential target for future therapeutics. Hum Reprod Update. 2018 Jan 1;24(1):59-85. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmx032.
citation: Luo N, Guan Q, Zheng L, Qu X, Dai H, Cheng Z. Estrogen-mediated activation of fibroblasts and its effects on the fibroid cell proliferation. Transl Res. 2014 Mar;163(3):232-41. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2013.11.008. Epub 2013 Nov 20.
citation: Bainbridge TW, Dunshee DR, Kljavin NM, Skelton NJ, Sonoda J, Ernst JA. Selective Homogeneous Assay for Circulating Endopeptidase Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP). Sci Rep. 2017 Oct 2;7(1):12524. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-12900-8.
citation: Hamson EJ, Keane FM, Tholen S, Schilling O, Gorrell MD. Understanding fibroblast activation protein (FAP): substrates, activities, expression and targeting for cancer therapy. Proteomics Clin Appl. 2014 Jun;8(5-6):454-63. doi: 10.1002/prca.201300095. Epub 2014 Mar 24.