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Expression of alpha 1 and beta 3 integrins subunits in the endometrium of patients with tubal phimosis or hydrosalpinx.

Savaris RF, Pedrini JL, Flores R, Fabris G, Zettler CG

Ambulatório de Fertilidade, Grupo Hospitalar Conceição, Ministério da Saúde, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. rsavaris@hcpa.ufrgs.br

OBJECTIVE: To determine the expression of alpha1 and beta3 integrin subunit on the endometrium of infertile patients with hydrosalpinx and infertile patients with tubal phimosis. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Tertiary medical center. PATIENT(S): Infertile patients with radiologic or laparoscopic diagnosis of hydrosalpinx (n = 11) or tubal phimosis (n = 12) as the only cause of infertility, and fertile controls (n = 17). INTERVENTION(S): Immunohistochemical analysis of alpha1 and beta3 integrin subunits was performed on endometrial biopsies obtained during the implantation window. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Histologic score (HSCORE) on luminal and glandular endometrium of the patients with hydrosalpinx or tubal phimosis and the normal fertile controls. RESULT(S): The median (+/-SEM) HSCORE for beta3 subunit expression in endometrial glands was 0.39 +/- 0.23 and 0.42 +/- 0.18 for tubal phimosis and hydrosalpinx, respectively, and 1.74 +/- 0.26 for fertile controls. The median HSCORE for beta3 subunit expression in luminal epithelium for tubal phimosis, hydrosalpinx, and fertile controls was 0.07 +/- 0.06, 0.21 +/- 0.18, and 1.03 +/- 0.31, respectively. No statistical difference was observed on the expression of alpha1 integrin subunit expression between the three groups. CONCLUSION(S): The endometrial expression of beta3 integrin subunit is reduced in the presence of tubal phimosis or hydrosalpinx, during the window of implantation.

Published 17 January 2006 in Fertil Steril, 85(1): 188-92.
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