Expression of leukemia inhibitory factor in endometrium of infertile women during the window of implantation / 대한산부인과학회잡지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the expression of endometrial leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in infertile women and to compare it with that of fertile women during the window of implantation METHODS: Endometrial biopsies were performed during the window of implantation from 10 normal fertile and 15 infertile women (5 unexplained infertility, 5 endometriosis and 5 tubal disease with hydrosalpinx). We performed immunohistochemistry using paraffin-embedded endometrial tissues. RESULTS: In fertile and infertile women, the staining intensities of LIF in the glandular epithelium were significantly higher (p<0.01) than those of stromal cells. There was no significantly difference in the expression of LIF between the glandular epithelium of infertile women with endometriosis or hydrosalpinx and those of fertile women. However, the staining intensities of LIF in the glandular epithelium of unexplained infertility patients were significantly lower (p<0.01) than those in fertile women. The staining intensities of LIF in stromal cell of women with unexplained infertility, endometriosis and hydrosalpinx were similar to those in fertile women. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the glandular epithelial cells are more important sites of LIF secretion than stromal cells. The expression of endometrial LIF may be decreased in women with unexplained infertility during the window of implantation. Therefore, this result suggest that abnormalities of LIF expression in infertile women may underlie endometrial dysfunction in the adhesive phase of implantation.