BACKGROUND Cell cycle proteins and HIF-1alpha with downstream factors are often abberrantly expressed in (pre)neoplastic tissue. METHODS Paraffin-embedded specimens of inactive endometrium with TM (n=15), ovarian inclusion cysts (n=6), cervix with TM (tubal metaplasia) (n=3), Fallopian tubes (n=7), cycling endometrium (n=9) and a ciliated cell tumor of the ovary were stained for p16 and LhS28...

BACKGROUND Endometriosis is a highly prevalent, benign disease in which the angiogenic, fibrinolytic and metalloproteinase (MMP) systems may be implicated. The objective of this study is to analyse mRNA expression and protein levels of several angiogenic factors and to correlate them with several components of the fibrinolytic and MMP systems in samples from 71 women with endometriosis and 50 c...

BACKGROUND GnRH agonist was recently suggested as a novel luteal-phase support that may act at different levels, including the pituitary gonadotrophs, the endometrium and the embryo itself. This prospective randomized study evaluates the effect of GnRH agonist administered in the luteal phase on ICSI outcomes in both GnRH agonist- and GnRH antagonist-treated ovarian stimulation protocols. MET...

Gonadotropin releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa) are often used to regress endometriosis implants and prevent premature luteinizing hormone surges in women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation. In addition to GnRH central action, the expression of GnRH and receptors in the endometrium implies an autocrine/paracrine role for GnRH and an additional site of action for GnRHa. To further examin...

OBJECTIVE To examine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in MUC16 (CA125) and MUC1 (CA15.3) in relation to ovarian cancer risk and survival. METHODS We genotyped germline variants of MUC16 (rs2547065, rs1559168, rs12984471, rs2121133) and MUC1 (rs2070803, rs4072037, rs1045253) using samples collected from 758 ovarian cancer cases and 788 controls enrolled in the New England Case-Control Stu...

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) has been widely used for the treatment of infertility. Several prognostic factors for IUI outcome have been proposed, including the endometrial thickness and follicle numbers, etiology and duration of infertility and morphology, type and motility of sperms. A total of 463 IUI cycles in which clomiphene citrate and/or human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) were used...

BACKGROUND Ovarian stimulation affects normal endometrial development. The expression of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and the vascular state in the peri-implantation endometrium in women with natural and gonadotrophin-stimulated cycles were compared. METHODS The expression of these angiogenesis-associated molecules in endomet...

Gonadotropin releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa) are often used to regress endometriosis implants and prevent premature luteinizing hormone surges in women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation. In addition to GnRH central action, the expression of GnRH and receptors in the endometrium implies an autocrine/paracrine role for GnRH and an additional site of action for GnRHa. To further examin...

To the Editors: Cramer et al. (1) present very intriguing findings on anti-MUC1 antibodies and their relationship to ovarian cancer risk factors in healthy women, raising new theories on the role of immunity in ovarian cancer and opening up avenues for new research in this area. The analysis is straightforward, yet the conclusion about genital talc exposure increasing ovarian cancer risk via di...