IMMUNOREACTIVE GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING-HORMONE EXPRESSION IN CYCLING HUMAN ENDOMETRIUM OF FERTILE PATIENTS

Objective: To investigate the protein expression of GnRH in the endome trium of fertile patients throughout the menstrual cycle. Design: Pros pective longitudinal study. Setting: Department of Gynecology and Obst etrics, Reproductive Immunology Laboratory, Stanford University Medica l Center. Patient(s): Twenty-two fertile premenopausal women submitted to laparoscopic surgery for benign gynecologic indications. Twenty-tw o fertile premenopausal women submitted to laparoscopic None of the 22 women had endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease. throughout th e entire menstrual cycle of fertile women. Immunostaining in the human ep in the midluteal phase and was elevated in the stroma throughout t he entire luteal phase. Intervention(s): An endometrial biopsy specime n using the Novak curette was obtained at the time of surgery. Main Ou tcome Measure(s): Protein expression and localization from unfractione d endometrial tissue was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Result(s): Gonadotropin-releasing hormone is expressed at the protein level in bo th the endometrial stroma and epithelium throughout the entire menstru al cycle of fertile women. Immunostaining in the human epithelium reac hed maximal levels. Conclusion(s): Our results demonstrate the presenc e of GnRH in the human endometrium at the protein level throughout the entire menstrual cycle of fertile women, with an increase in the lute al phase compared with the preovulatory endometrium. (Fertil Steril(R) 1998;70:102-6. (C) 1998 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine .).