Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A and its receptor-1 in a luteal endometrium in patients with repeated in vitro fertilization failure
Received 1 October 2007; received in revised form 20 November 2007; accepted 27 November 2007. published online 25 February 2008.
Objective
To investigate temporal and spatial relationships of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A and its receptor (VEGFR-1) expression in a luteal endometrium obtained from patients with repeated IVF failure.
Design
Immunohistochemical study.
Setting
University hospital.
Patient(s)
Thirty-three regular-cycling infertile women (mean age, 34.4 years) who experienced three or more failed IVF cycles (range, 3–14 cycles).
Intervention(s)
Endometrial samplings by silastic suction curette in the luteal phase of a spontaneous unmedicated cycle.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
Immunohistochemical intensity scoring after staining by monoclonal anti-VEGF-A and polyclonal anti-VEGFR-1. Microvascular density determined after staining by monoclonal anti-CD31 antibody. The data were compared in three phases; early (cycle day [CD]16–19) (n = 12), mid- (CD20–24) (n = 13), and late luteal phase (CD25–27) (n = 8).
Result(s)
Expression of VEGF-A tended to be lower in midluteal endometrium at epithelial, stromal, and endothelial cells. Expression of VEGFR-1 at epithelial cells was highest in midluteal endometrium, but VEGFR-1 at stroma and endothelium and microvascular density continuously decreased throughout luteal-phase endometrium.
Conclusion(s)
In contrast to previous reports, VEGF-A expression was not highest in the midluteal phase in repeated IVF failure patients who had no apparent endometrial pathology. Further research is needed to determine whether different VEGF-A expression patterns in the luteal phase contribute to repeated IVF failure.
eDepartment of Pathology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
Reprint requests: Seok Hyun Kim, M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, 28 Yeongeon, Chongno, Seoul 110-744, Korea (FAX: 82-2-762-3599).
ABSTRACT