Estrogen receptor β upregulates CCL2 via NF-κB signaling in endometriotic stromal cells and recruits macrophages to promote the pathogenesis of endometriosis

Tissues and stromal cells that were isolated from 22 patients with ovarian endometrioma and deeply infiltrating endometriosis were compared with tissues and stromal cells from 14 patients with normal cycling endometrium using immunohistochemistry, quantitative PCR, Western blot, cell migration assay and cloning formation assay. P values < 0.05 were considered significant, and experiments were repeated in at least three different cell preparations. Main