LOW-LEVELS OF HUMAN DECIDUA-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN-200 IN UTERINE FLUID REFLECT PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE ENDOMETRIUM

Uterine fluid levels of human decidua-associated protein (hDP) 200 wer e measured in regularly cycling fertile women, postmenopausal women wi th normal endometrium and in women with endometrial hyperplasia or end ometrial carcinoma. A statistically significant decrease in hDP 200 le vels (p < 0.0001) was observed in postmenopausal women and in women wi th endometrial hyperplasia or carcinoma as compared with regularly cyc ling women possessing a normal endometrium. Furthermore, a significant increase in the uterine fluid hDP 200 lever (p < 0.0008) was observed in women with endometrial hyperplasia following treatment with medrox yprogesterone acetate. These findings suggest that uterine fluid hDP 2 00 may be a useful marker for screening endometrial pathology as a res ult of hormonal imbalance or as a result of malignant histological dif ferentiation, and it may also be used to monitor the response of the e ndometrium to progestogen treatment.