title: Immunohistochemical localization of the growth hormone in human endometrium and decidua.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent evidence of growth hormone (GH) receptor expression in rat endometrium and human myometrium have focused our attention on the role of the GH in endometrial development. We tested the expression of GH in the human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical study was performed on endometrial specimens of fertile women in different periods of the menstrual cycle and in decidua of pregnant women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Glandular cells of the human endometrium were positive for GH in the mid and late luteal phase. Furthermore, the glandular cells of decidua showed intense staining for GH, while the stromal cells were negative. No immunostaining was expressed in the proliferative or early luteal phase. The intensity levels of staining for GH in decidual specimens were significantly higher than in glandular cells of secretory endometrium specimens (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The glandular cells of the human endometrium express GH from the late luteal phase throughout pregnancy in the decidual tissue. We suppose that GH plays an important role in blastocyst implantation.
authors.affiliation: Center of Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Rome, Italy. marcandrea@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sbracia
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scarpellini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poverini
authors.forename: Piero Lvigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Alò
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Di Tondo
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D003656:Decidua / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone