Comparing endometrial hysteroscopic and histological findings of infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome and unexplained infertility: A cross-sectional study

Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for improving endometrial receptivity in infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a comprehensive review of the available evidence

Direct and indirect evidence suggests that endometrial receptivity may play a crucial role in the reduced fertility rate of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Various pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies with potential effects on endometrial receptivity in patients with PCOS have been proposed. The aim of this study was to summarize the rationale and the clinical and experimental evidence of interventions tested for improving endometrial receptivity in infertile patients with PCOS. A systematic review was conducted by consulting electronic databases. All interventions with a potential influence on endometrial receptivity in infertile patients with PCOS were evaluated, and their main biological mechanisms were analysed. In total, 24 interventions related to endometrial receptivity were identified. Notwithstanding a strong biological rationale, no intervention aimed at improving endometrial receptivity in women with PCOS is supported by an adequate body of evidence, limiting their use in clinical practice. Further high-quality research is needed in this field to limit potentially ineffective and unsafe add-on treatments in infertile patients with PCOS.

Correlation of Hysteroscopy With Histopathological Findings of the Endometrium in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)-Related Infertility

Introduction There have been numerous studies on the anovulatory factor, leading to infertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); however, studies on the endometrium factor causing infertility in PCOS women are scarce. While hysteroscopy can accurately diagnose endometrial disorders such as endometrial polyps, it may be ineffective in detecting probable endometrial pathologies due to different hormonal habitats in these patients. Materials and methods Sixty patients with PCOS-related infertility were included in the study. All participants underwent hysteroscopic examination followed by endometrial biopsy and histopathological examination. The clinical and hormonal profiles of two main subgroups, that is, (a) normal endometrium (N), which included proliferative endometrium and secretory endometrium on histology, and (b) disordered endometrium (D), which included disordered endometrium on histology, were compared. Results There was no correlation between hysteroscopic and histopathological findings of PCOS infertile women. In the subgroup analysis of the two main histological types, that is, normal (proliferative and secretory) and disordered (disordered endometrium), age (28.70±4.66 vs. 32.9±5.61, p=0.012) and duration of amenorrhea (5.49±2.43 vs. 7.82±2.93, p=0.008) were significantly higher in the disordered group. There was a statistically nonsignificant higher BMI in the patients of the disordered endometrium group. Conclusion These findings suggest that endometrial biopsy and histopathological evaluation along with hysteroscopy should be desired in women with PCOS-related infertility, especially if they are in the late reproductive age group and have a longer duration of amenorrhea, regardless of endometrial thickening. This approach is essential to diagnose and treat endometrial disorder, which can be an additional cause of infertility, recurrent implantation failure, and recurrent pregnancy loss, in addition to ovulatory dysfunction.

Evaluation of endometrial receptivity in women with unexplained infertility by shear wave elastography

OBJECTIVES

The endometrium of most unexplained infertility (UI) patients has been altered histologically. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is utilized to assess the signature of living tissue. This study aimed to explore the value of SWE in evaluating endometrial receptivity (ER) in UI patients.

METHODS

In total, 59 UI patients (UI group) and 52 normal control women (NC group) who received fertility consultation in our hospital were included between January 2022 and June 2023. We divided them into the late-proliferative phase of UI group (LPUI; n = 59), mid-secretory phase of UI group (MPUI; n = 41), late-proliferative phase of NC group (LPNC; n = 52), and mid-secretory phase of NC group (MPNC; n = 45). Transvaginal ultrasonography and SWE were performed during the LP and MP. Endometrial thickness (EMT), uterine artery pulsatility index (UA-PI), endometrial mean elasticity (E-mean), and mean shear wave velocities (SWV-mean) were measured.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in E-mean, SWV-mean, EMT, and UA-PI between the UI group and the NC group during both the LP and MP (p MPNC vs MPUI < 0.05, p LPNC vs LPUI < 0.05). E-mean and SWV-mean decreased with increasing EMT but increased with increasing UA-PI (p < 0.05). The most effective parameter for evaluating ER in UI patients is the E-mean (AUC = 0.89).

CONCLUSIONS

UI patients exhibited thinner endometrium, increased endometrial stiffness, and poor endometrial blood perfusion. E-mean was the most effective parameter to evaluate ER in UI patients. The study preliminarily proved that SWE is a promising non-invasive tool for evaluating the condition of endometrium.

CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

This study aimed to explore the significance of endometrial elasticity measured by SWE in evaluating patients with UI. The findings revealed a correlation between EMT, UA-PI, and E-mean. Endometrial elasticity can serve as an effective indicator for predicting ER.

KEY POINTS

1. To explore the significance of endometrial elasticity in assessing patients with UI. 2. The endometrium of UI patient exhibited thinness, stiffness, and poor blood perfusion. 3. Endometrial elasticity serves as a valuable indicator for evaluating endometrial receptivity.

Research progress of endometrial receptivity in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a neuroendocrine heterogeneous disease that frequently occurs in women of reproductive age, causing serious damage to the fertility, quality of life, and physical and mental health of patients. The current studies have proved that satisfactory endometrial receptivity is one of the conditions that must be met during the process of spermatovum position, adhesion and invasion, as well as the subsequent blastocyst division and embryo development. Women with PCOS may suffer a series of pathological processes such as changes in the expression levels of hormones and related receptors, imbalances in the proportion of miscellaneous cytokines, insulin resistance, low-grade chronic inflammation and endometrial morphological changes, which will damage endometrial receptivity from various aspects and obstruct fertilized egg nidation and embryonic development, thus causing adverse reproductive health events including infertility and abortion. This article reviews the research progress about characteristics and related influencing factors of endometrial receptivity in PCOS patients.

The effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Nigella Sativa seed on dehydroepiandrosterone-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome in rats: An experimental study

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders among women.

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) seed as a plant, the consumption of which has been recommended in Islam, on dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced PCOS rats.

Materials and Methods

This experimental study was carried out on 36 Wistar female rats (3 wk, 60 ± 10 gr). Then rats were divided into 6 groups (n = 6/each): control; PCOS-induced (DHEA 60 mg/kg/sc); PCOS+ Metformine (30 mg/kg); and three experimental groups receiving DHEA + hydroalcoholic extract of N. sativa seeds in doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Blood samples were taken for the evaluation of sexual hormones, oxidative stress, glucose, and insulin after 30 days of treatment. Ovarian tissue was used for histopathological study.

Results

The serum levels of luteinizing hormone, testosterone, glucose, insulin resistance, malondialdehyde, and insulin (p ≤ 0.001) and estrogen increased while the levels of progesterone (p = 0.01) and antioxidant enzymes in the PCOS group decreased (p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion

The administration of the N. sativa extract to the PCOS rats resulted in remarkable changes in the serumic factors relative to the PCOS group. In addition, the extract improved the structure of the ovarian tissue in the PCOS rat. The histopathological results which are in accordance with biochemical findings imply that N. sativa seed could be useful in the treatment of PCOS, the higher doses of the extract being more effective.

Endometrial function in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. An endometrial component has been suggested to contribute to subfertility and poor reproductive outcomes in affected women.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE

The aim of this review was to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support that endometrial function is altered in women with PCOS, whether clinical features of PCOS affect the endometrium, and whether there are evidence-based interventions to improve endometrial dysfunction in PCOS women.

SEARCH METHODS

An extensive literature search was performed from 1970 up to July 2020 using PubMed and Web of Science without language restriction. The search included all titles and abstracts assessing a relationship between PCOS and endometrial function, the role played by clinical and biochemical/hormonal factors related to PCOS and endometrial function, and the potential interventions aimed to improve endometrial function in women with PCOS. All published papers were included if considered relevant. Studies having a specific topic/hypothesis regarding endometrial cancer/hyperplasia in women with PCOS were excluded from the analysis.

OUTCOMES

Experimental and clinical data suggest that the endometrium differs in women with PCOS when compared to healthy controls. Clinical characteristics related to the syndrome, alone and/or in combination, may contribute to dysregulation of endometrial expression of sex hormone receptors and co-receptors, increase endometrial insulin-resistance with impaired glucose transport and utilization, and result in chronic low-grade inflammation, immune dysfunction, altered uterine vascularity, abnormal endometrial gene expression and cellular abnormalities in women with PCOS. Among several interventions to improve endometrial function in women with PCOS, to date, only lifestyle modification, metformin and bariatric surgery have the highest scientific evidence for clinical benefit.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS

Endometrial dysfunction and abnormal trophoblast invasion and placentation in PCOS women can predispose to miscarriage and pregnancy complications. Thus, patients and their health care providers should advise about these risks. Although currently no intervention can be universally recommended to reverse endometrial dysfunction in PCOS women, lifestyle modifications and metformin may improve underlying endometrial dysfunction and pregnancy outcomes in obese and/or insulin resistant patients. Bariatric surgery has shown its efficacy in severely obese PCOS patients, but a careful evaluation of the benefit/risk ratio is warranted. Large scale randomized controlled clinical trials should address these possibilities.