npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-06-18DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00086-8
M Aziz, M A Beaton, M A Aziz, J Opoku-Anane, N Elhadad
{"title":"Endometriosis and autoimmunity: a large-scale case-control study of endometriosis and 10 distinct autoimmune diseases.","authors":"M Aziz, M A Beaton, M A Aziz, J Opoku-Anane, N Elhadad","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00086-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00086-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study, we assessed if women with endometriosis have greater odds than matched controls of receiving an autoimmune diagnosis within two-years of their endometriosis diagnosis. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using two large-scale administrative claims databases (2010-2017), identifying 332,409 patients with endometriosis and 1,220,932 matched controls. Compared to matched controls, patients with endometriosis had an increased risk of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, pernicious anemia, Sjogren's syndrome or myositis within two-years of their endometriosis diagnosis. The odds of receiving a diagnosis of at least one of the autoimmune conditions among patients with endometriosis were approximately two times greater than matched controls. Our study is the first to show a significant association between endometriosis and autoimmune conditions within a two-year diagnosis window, adding to growing evidence suggesting a potential link between endometriosis and autoimmunity, warranting investigation into shared mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12176652/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144478497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-02-08DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00058-y
Preeti Dubey, Yingye Fang, K Lionel Tukei, Shobhan Kuila, Xinming Liu, Annika Sahota, Antonina I Frolova, Erin L Reinl, Manasi Malik, Sarah K England, Princess I Imoukhuede
{"title":"Predicting oxytocin binding dynamics in receptor genetic variants through computational modeling.","authors":"Preeti Dubey, Yingye Fang, K Lionel Tukei, Shobhan Kuila, Xinming Liu, Annika Sahota, Antonina I Frolova, Erin L Reinl, Manasi Malik, Sarah K England, Princess I Imoukhuede","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00058-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-025-00058-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Approximately half of U.S. women giving birth annually receive Pitocin, a synthetic form of oxytocin (OXT), yet the optimal dosing remains challenging due to significant individual variability in response. To address this, we developed a mathematical model examining the effects of five OXT receptor (OXTR) variants (V45L, P108A, L206V, V281M, and E339K) on OXT-OXTR binding dynamics in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293T) and myometrial smooth muscle cells. The model was parameterized using experimentally derived, cell-specific OXTR surface localization measurements and literature-reported OXT-OXTR-binding kinetics. The model revealed differences in time to equilibrium between HEK293T and myometrial cells, distinct dynamics among genetic variants, and that early increases in OXT could partially rescue diminished responses in V281M and E339K variants. This model provides key insights into how genetic variants influence OXT dose responses and offers a framework for tailoring OXT dosing to patient-specific genetic profiles.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12381597/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144985916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-02-22DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00060-4
Céline Constantin, Daria Matvienko, Csaba László, Valentina Scabia, Laura Battista, Pierre-Alain Binz, Stephen J Bruce, Cathrin Brisken
{"title":"Mimicking women's endocrine milieu in mice for women's health-related studies.","authors":"Céline Constantin, Daria Matvienko, Csaba László, Valentina Scabia, Laura Battista, Pierre-Alain Binz, Stephen J Bruce, Cathrin Brisken","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00060-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00060-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To improve preclinical studies and their translation, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are increasingly used. They have human-specific tumor characteristics and reflect intra and inter-tumor heterogeneity. However, the endocrine milieu differs between humans and host mice. In light of sex-specific cancer biology and a rise in endocrine-related cancers there is an urgent need to correctly reflect the hormonal milieu in PDX models. We show that female mice of <i>NOD.Cg-Prkdc</i> <sup><i>scid</i></sup> <i>Il2rg</i> <sup><i>tm1Wjl</i></sup> <i>/SzJ (NSG)</i> strain widely used for PDXs has 17-β-estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) levels comparable to <i>C57Bl6</i> females but higher progesterone (P4) levels. E2 levels are comparable, T levels are lower and P4 levels higher than those observed in postmenopausal women. Ovariectomy increases T to levels observed in postmenopausal women. Subcutaneous E2 and combined E2/P4 silicon pellets provide <i>NSG</i> females with premenopausal ovarian hormone levels. These procedures humanize the endocrine environment of experimental animals, improving PDX relevance in women's health-related research.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11845318/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143485476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-06-13DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00085-9
Chee Wai Ku, Yu Bin Tan, Kuan Yang Chew, Chee Onn Ku, Shi Tong Carissa Ng, Thiam Chye Tan, Yie Hou Lee
{"title":"Untargeted metabolomics reveals key pathways in miscarriage: steroid, folate, fatty acid & glycosaminoglycan metabolism.","authors":"Chee Wai Ku, Yu Bin Tan, Kuan Yang Chew, Chee Onn Ku, Shi Tong Carissa Ng, Thiam Chye Tan, Yie Hou Lee","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00085-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00085-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Metabolites influencing miscarriage outcomes remain understudied. We hypothesized that aberrant metabolism impacts threatened miscarriage outcomes and that understanding these pathways could offer new management strategies. This case-control study analyzed serum metabolomics from 80 women between 5 and 12 weeks' gestation at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, comparing three groups: women with threatened miscarriage who miscarried (TM<sub>MC</sub>), those with ongoing pregnancies (TM<sub>O</sub>), and women with normal pregnancies (NP). Using untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and pathway analysis through MetaboAnalyst 5.0 and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, 267 metabolites across 12 enriched pathways were identified. Dysregulations in steroid (AUC 0.82), folate (AUC 0.59), fatty acid (AUC 0.70), and glucosaminoglycan (AUC 0.64) pathways distinguished women who miscarried from those with ongoing pregnancies (TM<sub>MC</sub> vs TM<sub>O</sub>). We provide initial insights into the metabolic profile associated with miscarriage, highlighting disruptions in steroid hormone, fatty acid, folate, and glucosaminoglycan biosynthesis. Further validation may support biomarker development for prognostication.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12165837/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-02-06DOI: 10.1038/s44294-024-00052-w
Camran R Nezhat, Tomiko T Oskotsky, Joshua F Robinson, Susan J Fisher, Angie Tsuei, Binya Liu, Juan C Irwin, Brice Gaudilliere, Marina Sirota, David K Stevenson, Linda C Giudice
{"title":"Real world perspectives on endometriosis disease phenotyping through surgery, omics, health data, and artificial intelligence.","authors":"Camran R Nezhat, Tomiko T Oskotsky, Joshua F Robinson, Susan J Fisher, Angie Tsuei, Binya Liu, Juan C Irwin, Brice Gaudilliere, Marina Sirota, David K Stevenson, Linda C Giudice","doi":"10.1038/s44294-024-00052-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-024-00052-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Endometriosis is an enigmatic disease whose diagnosis and management are being transformed through innovative surgical, molecular, and computational technologies. Integrating single-cell and other omic disease data with clinical and surgical metadata can identify multiple disease subtypes with translation to novel diagnostics and therapeutics. Herein, we present real-world perspectives on endometriosis and the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in informing molecular, epidemiologic, and cell-specific data in the clinical and surgical contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11802455/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143384932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-05-05DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00076-w
Ian M Greenlund, Jill N Barnes, Sarah E Baker, Virend K Somers, Joshua M Bock
{"title":"Sex differences in sleep apnea and Alzheimer's Disease: role of cerebrovascular dysfunction.","authors":"Ian M Greenlund, Jill N Barnes, Sarah E Baker, Virend K Somers, Joshua M Bock","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00076-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-025-00076-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) significantly impacts cardiovascular health in post-menopausal females. Given that cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are tightly linked, OSA-mediated impacts on cerebrovascular function and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) risk are also likely more manifest in females. This review will: summarize sex differences in cerebrovascular function, review the vascular hypothesis of AD, characterize sex differences in the OSA phenotype and implications for cerebrovascular control, and highlight OSA-mediated AD risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"27"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12052590/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144016106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-04-23DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00071-1
Cheryl S Rosenfeld, Victoria J Vieira-Potter
{"title":"Estrogen regulation of the nucleus accumbens as a gateway to understanding menopause associated metabolic dysfunction.","authors":"Cheryl S Rosenfeld, Victoria J Vieira-Potter","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00071-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-025-00071-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The nucleus accumbens (NAc) may be a link between metabolic and behavioral changes due to menopause. Loss of estrogen (E2) activation in the NAc might cause reduced physical activity and adipose tissue dysfunction. We review potential mechanisms by which NAc might communicate with adipose tissue and how menopause may impact this pathway. A better understanding of the NAc-adipose tissue axis will pave the way for improved treatments in menopausal women.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12380378/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144985821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-01-03DOI: 10.1038/s44294-024-00049-5
Zhexian Sun, Wenjie Wu, Zezhen Xiang, Hansong Gao, Weina Ju, Cherilyn Uhm, Ian S Hagemann, Pamela K Woodard, Nanbert Zhong, Alison G Cahill, Qing Wang, Yong Wang
{"title":"Quantitative and longitudinal assessment of human placental inflammation using diffusion basis spectrum imaging.","authors":"Zhexian Sun, Wenjie Wu, Zezhen Xiang, Hansong Gao, Weina Ju, Cherilyn Uhm, Ian S Hagemann, Pamela K Woodard, Nanbert Zhong, Alison G Cahill, Qing Wang, Yong Wang","doi":"10.1038/s44294-024-00049-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-024-00049-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Besides exchanging nutrients, gases, and wastes, placenta is an intermediary between maternal and fetal immune systems. However, no method exists to safely image and monitor placental inflammation during pregnancy. We customized a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) method, diffusion basis spectrum imaging (DBSI), to measure immune cells in placenta. We validated placental DBSI in simulations and ex-vivo specimens, then applied it to 202 MRI scans from 82 patients whose placentas were classified as non-inflammation (<i>n</i> = 70) or inflammation (<i>n</i> = 12). Our method imaged the 3D distribution of immune cells, revealing significantly greater infiltration in the inflammation placentas from early (2.8% ± 0.7% vs. 4.8% ± 0.65%, <i>p</i> < 0.01) to late pregnancy (4.75% ± 0.9% vs. 7.25% ± 2.13%, <i>p</i> < 0.01). DBSI detects elevated immune cell infiltration associated with placental inflammation and enables non-invasive imaging of placental inflammation, offering early detection and monitoring throughout pregnancy, facilitating personalized care and potentially improving pregnancy outcomes without ionizing radiation.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11698687/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142934408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-02-25DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00063-1
Aysegul Atasoy-Zeybek, Kelly K Showel, Christopher V Nagelli, Jennifer J Westendorf, Christopher H Evans
{"title":"The intersection of aging and estrogen in osteoarthritis.","authors":"Aysegul Atasoy-Zeybek, Kelly K Showel, Christopher V Nagelli, Jennifer J Westendorf, Christopher H Evans","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00063-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00063-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease characterized by cartilage degradation, inflammation, and pain. While multiple factors contribute to OA development, age and sex are primary risk factors, particularly affecting postmenopausal women. The dramatic increase in OA risk after menopause suggests estrogen deficiency accelerates disease progression. This review explores the molecular mechanisms connecting aging and estrogen deficiency in OA development, focusing on key genes and pathways identified through RNA sequencing.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11860234/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143525987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-04-25DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00072-0
Roma Dhingra, Kosuke Tamura, Jinani Jayasekera, Amina P Alio, Allana T Forde
{"title":"A systematic review of the relationship between neighborhood stressors, discrimination, and cardiometabolic outcomes during pregnancy.","authors":"Roma Dhingra, Kosuke Tamura, Jinani Jayasekera, Amina P Alio, Allana T Forde","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00072-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-025-00072-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cardiometabolic outcomes during pregnancy, including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and gestational diabetes, disproportionately affect racial and/or ethnic minority groups in the United States. These disparities are not fully explained by traditional risk factors, but race-related psychosocial stressors such as perceived neighborhood stressors and discrimination (PNSD) may contribute to adverse health outcomes. This systematic review examined the literature on the impact of PNSD on HDP and gestational diabetes. A comprehensive search of PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL identified 10 eligible studies: seven cohort and three cross-sectional studies. Five studies reported significant associations between PNSD and increased risk for cardiometabolic outcomes during pregnancy (HDP-1 study, gestational diabetes-3 studies, both hypertension and diabetes during pregnancy-1 study). The included studies demonstrated good methodological quality. These findings suggest that PNSD may be associated with cardiometabolic outcomes during pregnancy, but further research is needed, particularly on perceived neighborhood stressors.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"25"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12031668/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144049852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}