Schatz Frederick, Krikun Graciela, Baergen Rebecca N, Critchley Hilary O D, Kuczynski Edward, Lockwood Charles J
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2006 Jan 30;4:2. doi: 10.1186/1477-7827-4-2.
Neutrophils infiltrate the endometrium pre-menstrually and after long-term progestin only-contraceptive (LTPOC) treatment. Trafficking of neutrophils involves endothelial cell-expressed intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1). Previous studies observed that ICAM-1 was immunolocalized to the endothelium of endometrial specimens across the menstrual cycle, but disagreed as to whether extra-endothelial cell types express ICAM-1 and whether ICAM-1 expression varies across the menstrual cycle.
Endometrial biopsies were obtained from women across the menstrual cycle and from those on LTPOC treatment (either Mirena or Norplant). The biopsies were formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded with subsequent immunohistochemical staining for ICAM-1.
The current study found prominent ICAM-1 staining in the endometrial endothelium that was of equivalent intensity in different blood vessel types irrespective of the steroidal or inflammatory endometrial milieu across the menstrual cycle and during LTPOC therapy. Unlike the endothelial cells, the glands were negative and the stromal cells were weakly positive for ICAM immunostaining.
The results of the current study suggest that altered expression of ICAM-1 by endothelial cells does not account for the influx of neutrophils into the premenstrual and LTPOC-derived endometrium. Such neutrophil infiltration may depend on altered expression of neutrophil chemoattractants.
中性粒细胞在月经前和长期仅使用孕激素避孕（LTPOC）治疗后浸润子宫内膜。中性粒细胞的迁移涉及内皮细胞表达的细胞间黏附分子（ICAM-1）。先前的研究观察到ICAM-1在整个月经周期的子宫内膜标本内皮细胞中呈免疫定位，但对于内皮细胞外的其他细胞类型是否表达ICAM-1以及ICAM-1表达在月经周期中是否变化存在分歧。
从处于月经周期的女性以及接受LTPOC治疗（使用曼月乐或诺普兰）的女性中获取子宫内膜活检样本。活检样本用福尔马林固定并石蜡包埋，随后进行ICAM-1的免疫组织化学染色。
当前研究发现，子宫内膜内皮细胞中有明显的ICAM-1染色，在不同血管类型中强度相当，无论在整个月经周期还是LTPOC治疗期间，甾体或炎性子宫内膜环境如何。与内皮细胞不同，腺体ICAM免疫染色呈阴性，基质细胞呈弱阳性。
当前研究结果表明，内皮细胞ICAM-1表达的改变不能解释中性粒细胞流入经前和LTPOC治疗后的子宫内膜。这种中性粒细胞浸润可能取决于中性粒细胞趋化因子表达改变。
