title: Expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules in human endometrium.
abstract: In the present investigation the distribution of molecules that are involved in the leukocyte binding was studied in human endometrium. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA-1), and HLA-DR molecules was studied in 13 proliferative and 10 secretory endometria as well as cultures of endometrial glands and stroma by avidin-biotin complex (ABC) procedure using monoclonal antibodies. The ICAM-1 and HLA-DR molecules were both strongly expressed in the lymphoid and endothelial cells. ICAM-1 expression was uniform in the epithelium, whereas the HLA-DR molecules were preferentially expressed in the epithelial cells in the basalis. Expression of both epithelial HLA-DR and ICAM-1 molecules was enhanced adjacent to lymphoid aggregates. ICAM-1 molecule was uniformly expressed in the stromal cells in the basalis and the functionalis, whereas the HLA-DR molecules were expressed exclusively in the stromal cells surrounding the lymphoid cells. ICAM-1 expression in the epithelial and stromal cells was confirmed in the isolated intact stromal cells and glands by immunohistochemistry. Although stromal and epithelial cells propagated in vitro expressed ICAM-1, they were rarely HLA-DR positive. The expression of LFA-1 was confined to the lymphoid cells. The high level of expression of ICAM-1, LFA-1, and HLA-DR molecules in human endometrial constituents may contribute to the presence, aggregation, and preferential distribution of lymphoid cells in human endometrium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, City Hospital Center, Elmhurst, New York 11373.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tabibzadeh
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poubouridis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016028:Receptors, Leukocyte-Adhesion / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D016028:Receptors, Leukocyte-Adhesion; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1