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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of intrauterine infusion of autologous blood cell derivative (ABCD) on endometrial thickness and pregnancy outcomes in a group of patients who underwent IVF with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) and who had either a normal endometrium or thin endometrium. Methods: This retrospective study included 63 patients who experienced RIF at the Department of Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, KMC, Manipal, between January 2021 and March 2024 and who received three doses of intrauterine ABCD infusion to prepare the endometrium for frozen embryo transfer (FET). Results: We enrolled 63 RIF patients, 30 with a normal endometrium (NEM) and 33 with a thin endometrium (TEM). The endometrial thickness (EMT) significantly increased across all the groups. After 3 cycles of intrauterine ABCD infusion, the mean increases in EMT in the NEM and TEM groups were 0.77 mm and 1.36 mm, respectively, which were statistically significant. Among the 62 completed FET cycles, 40.3% were positive for beta-hCG. The clinical pregnancy rate was 33.8% (40% in the NEM group, 28.1% in the TEM group), and the live birth rate was 24.2% (30% in the NEM group, 18.8% in the TEM group). A total of 9.7% of pregnancies had spontaneous miscarriages. Moreover, the EMT did not differ between the pregnant and nonpregnant groups. Conclusion: Intrauterine ABCD infusion improves the pregnancy outcomes of patients with RIF, regardless of the EMT. The results of this study revealed that endometrial receptivity improved significantly along with the EMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the membrane expression of DR4, DR5, DcR1 and DcR2 in the normal endometrium (NE), atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) and endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC). Methods: The study comprised 197 patients: 20 NE, 18 AEH and 159 EAC. Tissue microarrays were constructed. Membrane expression of DR4, DR5, DcR1 and DcR2 was examined and presented as total score (TS). Results: In EAC, the membrane expression of DR4, DR5 and DcR2 was less common compared to NE ( p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p = 0.018) and AEH ( p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p = 0.004). In EAC the membrane expression of DcR1 did not differ when compared to NE ( p = 0.055) and AEH ( p = 0.173). A strong correlation was found between the type of endometrial tissue (NE/AEH/EAC) and the TS of DR4 ( p < 0.001), DR5 ( p < 0.001), DcR1 ( p = 0.033) and DcR2 ( p < 0.001). In EAC, the TS of DR4, DR5, DcR1 and DcR2 was not related to grading and staging. In EAC, the membrane expression of DR5, but not DR4, DcR1 and DcR2, was related to better disease-free survival (DFS). The overall survival (OS) was not related to membrane TRAIL receptors expression. Conclusions: The membrane expression of the receptors for TRAIL DR4, DR5, DcR1 and DcR2 is greater in NE than EAC. The level of membrane staining of the receptors in EAC is not dependent on grading and staging. In EAC patients, membrane expression of DR4, DR5, DcR1 and DcR2 are not independent predictors of survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase (PyNPase) is identical to the protein, platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF), which has angiogenic activity. The physiological roles of PyNPase activity in the uterus and ovary are not known. In this study, we measured PyNPase activity in normal tissues of the uterus, ovary, and lymph nodes, and in benign and malignant lesions of these organs, and we considered the clinical implications of PyNPase activity in the uterus and ovary. Methods. Tissue samples were obtained from 163 patients (whose diseases are listed below) during surgery. PyNPase activity was measured spectrophotometrically, by monitoring the formation of 5-fluorouridine. Results. Mean PyNPase activity in tissues from the lesions of patients with cervical cancer ( n = 20), uterine endometrial cancer ( n = 26), leiomyoma ( n = 23), ovarian cancer ( n = 46), ovarian endometriosis ( n = 21), and benign epithelial ovarian tumor ( n = 27) was significantly greater than that in the corresponding normal tissues. The PyNPase activity in the normal endometrium was significantly higher in the secretory phase than in the proliferative phase. The activity in normal or metastatic lymph nodes was significantly greater than that in normal tissues of the uterus and ovary. Mean PyNPase activity in cancerous cervical tissues was significantly greater than that in cancerous endometrial tissues or cancerous ovarian tissues. There were no significant differences in PyNPase activity in cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer tissues according to tumor stage. The enzyme activity appeared to be greater in histopathological G3 grade endometrial cancer than in G1 and G2 endometrial cancer. The enzyme activity in mucinous adenocarcinoma of the ovary was significantly lower than that in serous, endometrioid, and clear cell adenocarcinomas. All patients with cervical squamous cell carcinomas with PyNPase activity greater than 500 nmol/min per mg protein exhibited lymph node metastasis. Conclusion. Increased PyNPase activity consistently reflected neoplastic growth, and varying levels of activity were seen in different histologic cell types. This enzyme activity may be involved in cervical squamous cell carcinomas, in normal and metastatic lymph nodes, and in the normal, secretory phase in the endometrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A silver colloid technique to identify nucleolar organizer region associated protein (AGNORs) has been applied to paraffin sections in a total of 43 endometrial hyperplasias (24 adenomatous and 19 adenocystic) 26 endometrial carcinomas and 22 normal endometria (11 of proliferative and 11 of secretory phase). A morphometric analysis of highly magnified photographic images of AGNORs in light microscopic preparations was performed. Malignant tumor cells showed significantly higher AGNOR numbers, maximum diameter and mean area compared with normal and hyperplastic endometrium, with the exception of adenocystic hyperplasia whose D and mean area were significantly larger. Regarding the distribution pattern of AGNOR dots in the cases studied, it was found that normal and hyperplastic endometrium had a mainly clustered distribution while endometrial adenocarcinomas revealed a scattered one. The significant differences observed in the number of AGNORs, their size and mean area between benign and malignant endometrial epithelia suggest that the AG-NOR staining technique is of diagnostic importance in distinguishing between these two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tissue culture offers a model system with which to study the endocrine-mediated growth, differentiation, and metabolic activities of the endometrium. We have established and continue to maintain monolayer cultures of normal human endometrial epithelial cells from each phase of the menstrual cycle. At present, eight proliferative, two secretory, and two menstrual phase cultures have been established. These have been passed at least three times. One proliferative phase culture has been growing for 18 mo, and passed 10 times. Colonies of epithelioid cells as well as single cells appear in the cultures within 2 to 8 h of initial culture and maintain this appearance throughout long-term growth. The cells are periodic acid Schiff positive for carbohydrates and positive for keratin, an immunochemical marker for epithelial tissues. Studies comparing the ultrastructure of the cultures with fresh endometrial tissue revealed morphologic features common to both, including prominent nucleoli, Golgi, mitochondria-rough endoplasmic reticulum complexes, and abundant glycogen. The cells are not tumorigenic in the nude mouse and do not form colonies on soft agarose, confirming the nonneoplastic identity of the cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]