Abstract
Objective: To investigate whether luteal and endometrial abnormalities occur more frequently in an infertile population and thus contribute to infertility. Design: Prospective controlled clinical study. Setting: Outpatient clinic in an academic research institution. Participants: Thirty- three fertile controls and 31 infertile women without ovulatory disorders, tubal disease, or male factors. Interventions: All women underwent an endometrial biopsy 9 days after the LH surge followed by an IM injection of 5,000 IU hCG. Blood samples were drawn immediately before hCG administration for serum P and placental protein 14 (PP14) measurements, at 6 hours after hCG stimulation for serum P concentrations, and on day 5 after hCG administration for serum PP14 levels. Main Outcome Measures: Histologic dating of the endometrium and serum P and PP14 measurements. Results: Abnormal endometrial biopsies occurred more frequently in infertile (43%) than in fertile women (9%). Except for one case, these specimens were not associated with low hCG-stimulated P levels. Serum PP14 measurements varied widely and did not discriminate subjects with abnormal endometrial development. Conclusions: Disruption of endometrial maturation without a concomitant defect of the corpus luteum occurs more frequently in an infertile population and thus may contribute to infertility.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 495-502 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Fertility and sterility |
Volume | 65 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1996 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Endometrial biopsy
- human chorionic gonadotropin
- placental protein 14
- progesterone
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Reproductive Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynecology