[Pathological and immunohistochemical study on estrogen and progesterone receptors in endometrium of polycystic ovarian syndrome].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the changes of endometrium in infertility patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

METHODS

The endometrium from 39 patients with PCOS were studied by HE stain and immunohistochemical method using anti-estrogen receptor(ER) and anti-progesterone receptor(PR) monoclonal antibodies.

RESULTS

87.2% (34/39) of the endometrium showed anovulatory proliferative phases; 51.3% (20/39) had signs of hyperplasia; 35.9% (14/39) showed asynchronization of endometrial glands and 46.2% (18/39) poor response of stroma to sex hormone. The levels of ER and PR in endometrium during proliferative phase were significantly higher than those of normal control, and the PR in the stroma of hyperplasia endometrium had an uneven distribution and was significantly less than that in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The endometrial histopathological changes and local decrease or absence of ER and PR in PCOS might be one of the causal factors of infertility.