title: Endometrial glandular proliferation and estrogen receptor content during the normal menstrual cycle.
abstract: Hysterectomy specimens from 35 normally cycling premenopausal women were examined to determine the relationship of endometrial glandular proliferation to estrogen receptor content. The cases were divided into follicular phase (n = 20), early luteal phase, days 1-5 post ovulation (n = 5) and mid to late luteal phase (n = 10). Proliferation rates, as determined by MIB-1 expression, were maximal in the endometrial functionalis during the follicular phase (701 cells/1000), decreased by half during the early luteal phase (327 cells/1000), and virtually ceased during the mid to late luteal phase (8 cells/1000) (p < 0.001). Estrogen receptor status, determined immunohistochemically and graded on a scale of 0 to 4+, averaged 3.4+, 2.2+ and 0.5+ during the follicular, early luteal, and mid to late luteal phases, respectively, in the endometrial functionalis (p < 0.001). Proliferation rates in the endometrial basalis paralleled those in the functionalis, but at a lower rate, whereas estrogen receptor expression underwent considerably less cyclical variation. We conclude that estrogen receptor status shows a highly significant correlation with glandular proliferation rates and are predictive of endometrial proliferative changes during the normal menstrual cycle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farahmand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen