A LIGHT-MICROSCOPIC MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF THE LUMINAL EPITHELIUM OF HUMAN ENDOMETRIUM DURING THE PERIIMPLANTATION PERIOD

Different aspects of the histology of luminal epithelial cells were ex amined quantitatively at the light microscopical level, For the first time, using a variety of morphometric indices, an attempt was made to quantify and compare the cellular events in a group of well defined fe rtile controls and infertile subjects during the peri-implantation per iod. The most striking observation was that the majority of the featur es examined, including all nuclear parameters and most cell dimensions , were similar and did not differ significantly between the fertile co ntrols and the infertile subjects over the period of study. The coeffi cients of variation of most of the parameters investigated were simila r and within a narrow range in both the fertile and infertile populati on, indicating little variation either between individuals at a partic ular stage or between subjects on different days. This low inter-subje ct variability may suggest that the cellular events which we have been able to quantify at the light microscope level in the uterine surface epithelium around the anticipated time of implantation are precisely regulated. Such precise regulation does not mean that changes do not o ccur in luminal epithelial cells during this time, but that those whic h do occur are well controlled and co-ordinated. Possible changes in b iochemistry, physiology and ultrastructure of these cells remain to be determined.