The human endometrium is a complex tissue comprised of different cell types, including epithelial, stromal, inflammatory, perivascular, and blood vessel cells. The hormonal receptivity and distribution of these cell populations change during the menstrual cycle. Cyclical endometrial growth is dependent on its ability to regenerate a vascular capillary network, which grows in parallel with the p...

The molecular basis of embryo-maternal relationship, that leads to proper implantation into a receptive maternal endometrium to successfully establish a pregnancy, is still not fully understood. The human endometrium undergoes morphological and hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle in preparation for successful embryo implantation, or menstrual shedding in the absence of implantation. The...

Impaired natural killer (NK) activity in women with endometriosis is thought to promote implantation and progression of endometrial tissue, in accord with Sampson's hypothesis. However, the mechanisms responsible for decreased NK cell activity and the antigens recognized by NK cells are not clear.We focused on human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G, a ligand of NK receptors, expression and its menstru...

OBJECTIVE To improve endometrial quality and implantation rates after the administration of platelet-rich plasma in patients with refractory endometrium. METHODS 19 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization, aged between 33 and 45 years with a history of refractory endometrium, to whom platelet rich plasma was given by infusion with a catheter into the uterine cavity on the tenth day of the ...

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a common and distressing disorder. Chromosomal errors in the embryo are the single most common cause, whereas uterine factors are invariably invoked to explain non-chromosomal miscarriages. These uterine factors are, however, poorly defined. The ability of a conceptus to implant in the endometrium is normally restricted to a few days in the menstrual cycle. A l...

BACKGROUND In this prospective randomized blinded clinical trial, we examined gene expression profiles of the human endometrium during the early and mid-luteal phases of the natural cycle. METHODS An endometrial biopsy was performed on day 16 (LH +3) or on day 21 (LH +8), followed by RNA extraction and microarray analysis using an Affymetrix HG-U95A microchip. Data analysis was carried out us...

BACKGROUND Although several studies have suggested that CXCL12 and its receptor, CXCR4, may play a role in embryo implantation, there are limited reports of expression of CXCR4 and CXCL12 in human endometrium. The aim of this study was to investigate CXCL12 and CXCR4 expression in human endometrium and to see if CXCL12 could affect matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) production by endometrial stroma...

Background Cysteine-rich protein 61 (CYR61/CCN1) is a growth factor-inducible gene, involved in the regulation of multiple cellular processes, such as cell adhesion, migration, survival, growth factor-induced mitogenesis, endothelial tubule formation, apoptosis and angiogenesis. In normal women endometrium, CYR61 expression is elevated during the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle, and ...

The expression patterns in Meishan- and Yorkshire-derived endometrium during early (gestational day 15) and mid-gestation (gestational days 26 and 50) were investigated, respectively. Totally, 689 and 1649 annotated genes were identified to be differentially expressed in Meishan and Yorkshire endometrium during the three gestational stages, respectively. Hierarchical clustering analysis identif...