Ce. Gargett et al., Focal vascular endothelial growth factor correlates with angiogenesis in human endometrium. Role of intravascular neutrophils, HUM REPR, 16(6), 2001, pp. 1065-1075
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is expressed in human endometrium
, but the cellular source of VEGF for endometrial angiogenesis has not been
determined. In the present study the relationship between focal VEGF assoc
iated with microvessels and endothelial cell proliferation was examined in
three layers of human endometrium at various stages of the menstrual cycle
(menstrual, proliferative and secretory), Immunohistochemical analysis of f
ull thickness endometrium from 18 hysterectomy samples without endometrial
pathology were examined. The percentage of proliferating vessels was higher
in proliferative compared to secretory endometrium, but this was only stat
istically significant in the basalis layer. A significantly greater percent
age of VEGF-expressing microvessels was observed in proliferative than secr
etory endometrium (P < 0.05), The most VEGF-expressing microvessels were ob
served in the subepithelial capillary plexus, followed by the functionalis
and least were present in the basalis, There was a significant correlation
between focal VEGF-expressing microvessels and proliferating vessels for th
e subepithelial capillary plexus (R-S = 0.70, P = 0.008), the functionalis
(R-S = 0.70, P = 0.001) and the basalis (R-S = 0.76, P < 0.001), Focal VEGF
associated with microvessels was found in marginating and adherent neutrop
hils, These data suggest that neutrophils in intimate contact with endometr
ial endothelium may be a source of intravascular VEGF for vessels undergoin
g angiogenesis by elongation or intussusception, particularly during the pr
oliferative phase of rapid endometrial growth.