title: Endometrial cells derived from donor stem cells in bone marrow transplant recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Regeneration of the endometrium in each menstrual cycle is required for reproduction. Endogenous endometrial stem cells reside in the basalis layer and serve as a source of cells that differentiate to form the endometrium. Bone marrow-derived cells have been shown to take on functions outside the hematopoietic system.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possibility that cells of extrauterine origin could repopulate the endometrium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endometrium from 4 HLA-mismatched bone marrow transplant recipients (1998-2002) was evaluated for donor HLA expression. Each recipient had a bone marrow donor with an HLA type that enabled determination of the origin of any cell. Endometrial biopsies also were obtained from 4 healthy control women.
  
  
  METHODS
  HLA type was determined by immunohistochemistry and by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Donor-derived endometrial cells were detected in endometrial biopsy samples from all bone marrow recipients and accounted for 0.2% to 48% of epithelial cells and 0.3% to 52% of stromal cells. None of the controls demonstrated HLA mismatch in endometrial samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings demonstrate that endometrial cells can originate from donor-derived bone marrow cells and suggest that nonuterine stem cells contribute to the regeneration of endometrial tissue.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn 06520-8063, USA. hugh.taylor@yale.edu
authors.forename: Hugh S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006648:Histocompatibility; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D012038:Regeneration; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D017154:Stromal Cells; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens