Fertility and Sterility
Volume 81, Issue 2 , Pages 403-407, February 2004

Lifetime expression of stem cell markers in the uterine endometrium

Presented at the 11th Federation Meeting of Korean Basic Medical Scientists, Seoul, South Korea, April 25–26, 2003.

  • Nam Hoon Cho, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
    • ,
  • Young Kyu Park, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Gynecology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
    • ,
  • Young Tae Kim, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Gynecology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
    • ,
  • Hyunwon Yang, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ulji University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
    • ,
  • Sei Kwang Kim, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Gynecology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Sei Kwang Kim, M.D., Department of Gynecology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seodaemoon-ku Shinchon-dong, 134 Seoul, South Korea (FAX: +82-2-361-5499).

Received 7 April 2003; received in revised form 3 July 2003; accepted 3 July 2003.

Abstract 

Objective

To identify stem cells in uteri from the fetal to the postmenopausal period.

Design

Descriptive, controlled study.

Setting

Tertiary academic medical center.

Patient(s)

Forty archived uterine endometrial samples.

Intervention(s)

Immunohistochemistry with c-kit/CD117, CD34, bcl-2, and Ki67.

Main outcome measure(s)

Immunostaining.

Result(s)

C-kit/CD117, CD34, bcl-2, and Ki67 were consistently expressed in the stroma of the basalis layer. Bcl-2 was restricted to the fetal uterine endometrium.

Conclusion(s)

By studying the immunolocalization of stem cell markers (i.e., c-kit, CD34, and bcl-2), we found that stem cells are present continuously in the uterine endometrium from the fetal period. The cells seem to be located mainly in the stroma of the basalis and to be independent of hormonal regulation to avoid cyclic shedding. A small number of latent stem cells dormant in the stroma of the basalis were found to have the potential for mesenchymal differentiation.

Keywords:  Stem cell, endometrium, c-kit/CD117, bcl-2, CD34, Ki67

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PII: S0015-0282(03)02866-8

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2003.07.015

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 81, Issue 2 , Pages 403-407, February 2004

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