PURPOSE: To assess if arylsulfatase A activity (ASA) and sulfatide (SL) concentration in the human endometrium can be predictive of the development of endometrial polyps over the years, since ASA activity reflects the endometrial sensitivity to hormones. METHODS: ASA activity and SL concentration were determined by biochemical procedures on endometrial samples collected between 1990 and 1994 in...

background: endometriosis is a complex estrogen-dependent disease that is defined as the presence of endometrial gland and stroma outside the uterine cavity. although the exact mechanism for the development of endometriosis remains unclear, there is a large body of research data and circumstantial evidence that suggests a crucial role of estrogen in the establishment and maintenance of this dis...

Background: Repeated Implantation Failure (RIF) is one of the most intricate obstacles in assisted reproduction. The cytokine and chemokine composition of uterine cavity seem to play important roles in the implantation process. Objective: To compare the cytokine profile in the endometrium of normal fertile women and those with repeated implantation failure. Methods: After enzymatic digestion of...

Omental adipose stromal cells (O-ASC) are a multipotent population of mesenchymal stem cells contained in the omentum tissue that promote endometrial and ovarian tumor proliferation, migration, and drug resistance. The mechanistic underpinnings of O-ASCs' role in tumor progression and growth are unclear. Here, we propose a novel nitric oxide (NO)–mediated metabolic coupling between O-ASCs and g...

Stable and extensive blood vessel networks are required for cell function and survival in engineered tissues. A number of different strategies are currently being investigated to enhance biomaterial vascularization with screening primarily through extensive in vitro and in vivo experiments. In this article, we describe an agent-based model (ABM) developed to evaluate various strategies in silic...

Directed capillary ingrowth has long been considered synonymous with tumor vascularization. However, the vasculature of primary tumors and metastases is not necessarily formed by endothelial cell sprouting; instead, malignant tumors can acquire blood vessels via alternative vascularization mechanisms, such as intussusceptive microvascular growth, vessel co-option, and glomeruloid angiogenesis. ...

To determine the role, timing and indications for endometrial hysteroscopic investigation in relation to the clinical, ultrasound and histological features of the endometrium during tamoxifen (TAM) use. We performed an observational longitudinal cohort study (years 2007-2012) that investigated the endometria of 151 TAM users with hysteroscopy and histology. For all patients, gynaecological hist...