THE EFFECT OF HIGH-DOSE MEDIUM-TERM AND LONG-TERM PROGESTOGEN EXPOSURE ON ENDOMETRIAL VESSELS

A total of 19 paraffin-embedded endometrial tissue blocks were obtained from high-dose progestogen-exposed patients, A labelled streptavidin-biotin-alkaline phosphatase method was used with antibodies against von Willebrand factor (vWF) and CD34. The density of CD34 and vWF positive (CD34(+) and vWF(+)) vessels in progestogen-exposed endometria (103 +/- 9.6/mm(2) and 106 +/- 8.7/mm(2)) was significantly lower than in endometria from women with normal cycles (169 +/- 9.3/mm(2) and 136 +/- 8.0/mm(2)) (P < 0.05), In women with normal menstrual cycles the concentration of CD34(+) vessels was significantly higher than the number of vWF(+) vessels (P = 0.0001), By comparison, the concentration of CD34(+) vessels was similar to the concentration of vWF(+) vessels in progestogen-exposed endometria. The ratios of vascular density as determined by vWF(+) and CD34(+) staining in the control and progestogen groups were 0.81 and 1.05 respectively (P = 0.0001), Dilated venules were seen in the progestogen group, This study has demonstrated firstly that CD34 antibody detected the endothelial cells in a higher proportion of small endometrial vessels than vWF, and secondly that high-dose progestogen exposure significantly decreased the density of microvessels and increased the number of dilated venules in endometrium.