title: In search of candidate genes critically expressed in the human endometrium during the window of implantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this prospective randomized blinded clinical trial, we examined gene expression profiles of the human endometrium during the early and mid-luteal phases of the natural cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  An endometrial biopsy was performed on day 16 (LH +3) or on day 21 (LH +8), followed by RNA extraction and microarray analysis using an Affymetrix HG-U95A microchip. Data analysis was carried out using pairwise multiple group comparison with the significance analysis of microarrays (SAM) software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a false discovery rate of 0, the analysis revealed that 107 genes were significantly and differently expressed (> or =2-fold) during the early versus the mid-luteal phase of the cycle. Forty-five of these genes have not been previously linked to endometrial receptivity. Validation of the microarray data was accomplished using semiquantitative RT-PCR. We demonstrated the presence of estrogen and progesterone response elements (ERE and PRE) by analysis of the 5'-flanking regions of a subset of differentially regulated genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a strict bioinformatics approach of microarray data, we demonstrated significant changes in candidate genes during the transition of the early to the mid-luteal phase of the human endometrium that may have functional significance for the opening and maintenance of the window of implantation.
authors.affiliation: The Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Virginia 23507, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mirkin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Churikov
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corica
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bocca
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oehninger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019295:Computational Biology; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000235:genetics*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone