The interaction between inflammation and estrogen in adenomyosis : from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic strategies

Adenomyosis is a common and difficult disease in gynecology. Its main clinical manifestations include uterine hypertrophy, excessive menstruation, pelvic pain and infertility, which have a serious impact on women’s health. Seriously affects women’s health. At present, the pathogenesis of this disease is not clear; however, the increase in local estrogen and the occurrence of an inflammatory response are widely believed to be closely related to the development of adenomyotic lesions. Although progress has been made in understanding how estrogen and inflammation play their respective roles in adenomyosis, the relationship between estrogen and inflammation and its impact on adenomyosis are not fully understood. In this work, we summarize the effects of estrogen and inflammation on the occurrence and development of adenomyosis, including the involved biological processes and related signal transduction mechanisms, as well as the targeted drugs for clinical treatment, and further summarize the interactions between the two in adenomyosis as well as the available evidence for clinical applications. This review helps to broaden our understanding of the role of the vicious inflammatory‒estrogen cycle in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of adenomyosis, and it provides new ideas for the treatment of uterine adenomyosis.

The vicious cycle of inflammation and estrogen promotes the development of adenomyosis.