• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.99-113
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• 2010

목 적: 최근 다능성을 가진 극소형 줄기세포가 생쥐와 인간에서 발견된다고 보고되었다. 이 연구의 목적은 극소형 추정줄기세포들이 인간 자궁내막에 존재하는지, 그리고 이 세포들이 줄기세포의 고유 특성들과 줄기세포 표지자들을 발현시키는지 확인하기 위함이다. 연구방법: 자궁내막조직검사로부터 채취한 여성 5명의 자궁내막세포를 2주 동안 배양하였으며, alkaline phosphatase, OCT-4, CXCR4 면역화학염색을 통해 줄기세포 표지자 발현 여부를 확인하였다. 이후 percoll density gradient method 방법으로 극소형 추정줄기세포들을 분리하여 배양하였으며, 또한 극소형 추정줄기세포들과 그 유래의 세포들이 OCT-4와 CXCR4를 발현시키는지 확인하였다. 결 과: $3{\mu}m$ 미만의 극소형 추정줄기세포들과 5~15 ${\mu}m$의 과다염색질 원형세포들로 구성된 군집들이 모든 여성의 자궁내막세포에서 발견되었으며, alkaline phosphatase, OCT-4 및 CXCR4를 강하게 발현시켰다. Percoll을 이용하여 극소형 추정줄기세포들을 분리 배양한 결과, 극소형 추정줄기세포들은 자가재생, 배아체양 형성, 군집 형성, 분화 가소성과 같은 줄기세포의 형태학적 및 기능적인 특성들을 나타내었다. 극소형 추정줄기세포들은 세포간 응집 혹은 세포융합을 통하여 약 5~15 ${\mu}m$ 과다염색질 원형세포들과 약 10~20 ${\mu}m$ 구형세포들을 점진적으로 형성시켰다. 이후이 세포들은 섬유아세포 유사세포, 신경유사세포, 혈관내피유사세포를 포함하는 다양한 세포로 분화하였다. 또한 극소형 추정줄기세포들과 극소형 추정줄기세포에서 유래한 세포들은 흔히 OCT-4와 CXCR4를 강하게 발현시켰다. 결 론: 3 ${\mu}m$ 미만의 극소형 추정줄기세포들과 극소형 추정줄기세포에서 유래한 세포들이 인간 자궁내막에서 발견되며, 이 세포들은 줄기세포의 고유 특성들과 줄기세포 표지자인 alkaline phosphatase, OCT-4, CXCR4를 발현시킨다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.153-160
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• 1998

The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate whether the transvaginal ultrasonographic analysis of endometrial pattern and thickness could predict the stage of menstrual cycle. Endometrial pattern and thickness were observed in those patients receiving infertility work up from April, 1994 to July, 1998 at Seoul National University Hospital. The study group was 185 patients with normal regular menstrual cycles. Among them, 44 patients received endometrial biopsy, and the date of endometrium was compared with the observed endometrial pattern and thickness. The observed endometrial pattern was presence or absence of central cavity echogenicity, triple line sign, endometrial hypoechogenicity, ring sign, endometrial hyperechogenicity and posterior acoustic sonic enhancement. The results were as follows; Central cavity echogenicity was seen throughout menstrual cycle. Triple line sign was observed in 81.1% of patients during early secretory phase. However, in mid to late secretory phase, triple line sign was appeared in only 6.8%. The percentage of positive endometrial hypoechogenicity was highest in early secretory phase. In contrast to hypoechogenicity, positive endometrial hyperechogenicty was highest in mid to late secretory phase. Ring sign was observed in 73.5% of the patients during early secretory phase with peak incidence. Posterior acoustic enhancement was seen in 72.7% of the patients during late secretory phase. The sensitivity and specificity of being a secretory phase if the patients showed hyperechogenic endometrium, were 84.2%, 83.3% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of being a secretory phase if the patients showed posterior acoustic enhancement were 93.8%, 58.3% respectively. Endometrial thickness was not correlated with endometrial dating. In conclusion, transvaginal ultrasonographical delineation of the endometrial pattern might be useful tool in predicting endometrial status during normal menstrual cycle. But, endometrial thickness could not predict the endometrial dating.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.315-323
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• 1994

Mammalian oviductal epithelial cells have been known to improve in vitro fertilization and embryonic development. Recently, co-cultured human embryos with the epithelial cells in human genital tract has been reported to improve the pregnancy rate. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of the epithelial cells of human genital tract on the development of mouse early embryos and human fertilized oocytes. The epithelial cells of human genital tract were collected from the fallopian tubes which were obtained during hysterectomy in fertile women and from the endometrium during endometrium biopsy. Collected human ampullary cells(HACs) and endometrial cells(HECs) were cultured for 10 days to establish primary monolayer. Second passaged HACs and HECs were obtained by trypsinization were cryopreserved in PBS with 1.5 M DMSO for later use. To investigate the effect when co-cultured with HACs and HECs, we tried to apply strict quality control on mouse embryo, from two cell to blastocyst prior to human trial. The results of quality control were as follows; In Group I (Ham's F10 with 10% FCS), Group IT (co-cultured with HACs) and Group ill (co-cultured with HECs), developmental rates to blastocyst were 63.3%(253/400), 76.0%(304/ 400),74.0%(296/400), respectively. Hatching rates were 36.8%(147/400), 41.80/0(167/400), 38.0%(152/400), respectively(p<0.05). To perform the human IVF, cryopreserved HACs were thawed at 37$^{\circ}C$ waterbath, seeded on the well dish and cultured for 48 hI'S. The pronuclear stage embryos were transferred to the seeded well dish. After 24 hRS, co-cultured embryos were examined and transferred to patient's uterus. The results of human IVF when co-cultured with HACs were that fertilization and developmental rates were 61.8% (256/414), 95.3% (244/256) as compared with 57.2% (279/488) and 94.6%(264/279) in Ham's F10 supplemented with 10% FCS(control). However, 62.9% (161/256) of co-cultured human embryos showed good embryos(no or slight fragmentation) as compared with 53.8 % (150/279) in control(p < 0.05). Pregnancy rate was 40.0% (12/30) when co-cultured with HACs whereas 30.6%(11/36) in control. In conclusions, co-culture system using HACs and HECs improved the developmental and hatching rates of mouse embryo. Also, in human IVF system when co-cultured with HACs, it improved both the quality of human embryos and the pregnancy rate.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.287-294
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• 2002

Objectives: Pelvic tuberculosis (TB) causes infertility despite of anti-TB chemotherapy and IVF-ET is effective treatment to achieve pregnancy. The aim of this study is to assess the outcomes of IVF-ET in pelvic TB, especially according to main Tb lesion, and to investigate the factors affecting the successful outcome. Methods: A total of 135 IVF-ET cycles were performed in 54 patients with pelvic TB and the outcome was compared with that of control group with tubal factor not associated with TB in 301 cycles, 227 patients. Anti-TB chemotherapy was performed in the patients with pelvic TB. Pregnancy rate was compared according to main TB lesion as salpingitis, peritonitis, and endometritis. In the patients with endometrial TB, when complicated with uterine synechia, hysteroscopic lysis was done before IVF-ET and pregnancy rate was compared according to the presence of uterine synechia. Results: There was no significant difference in peak E2 ($2,790{\pm}280.1$ vs $2,554{\pm}101.2$, p>0.05), the number of retrieved oocytes ($13.5{\pm}0.7$ vs $12.5{\pm}0.4$, p>0.05) and fertilized oocytes ($7.7{\pm}0.5$ vs $7.8{\pm}0.3$, p>0.05) between patient and control group. Clinical pregnancy rate per transfer in pelvic TB group was 22.9% and showed no difference from that of control group (24.3%, p>0.05). Although it was not statistically significant, pregnancy rate in the endometrial Tb (18%) was lower than that in the salpingitis (28.5%) or peritonitis (26.5%) (p>0.05). In the endometrial TB with uterine synechia, pregnancy rate was significantly lower than that of the patients without synechia even after hysteroscopic lysis (9.7% vs 31.6%, p<0.05). Conclusion: IVF-ET after anti-TB chemotherapy is the most effective treatment to achieve pregnancy in infertile patients with pelvic TB. Because the presence of endometrial TB and resulting uterine synechia affects the outcome of IVF-ET, thorough evaluation for endometrium with endometrial biopsy and hysteroscopy is important to predict the prognosis of IVF-ET treatment.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.149-157
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• 2007

목 적: 본 연구는 세포간 부착과 유착에 관여하는 당단백질의 하나인 osteopontin (OPN)의 mRNA와 단백질의 발현 양상을 자궁내막증 환자의 정상위치 자궁내막조직과 이소성 자궁내막조직, 대조군의 자궁내막조직에서 비교, 분석하기 위해 시행되었다. 연구방법: 개복 또는 복강경 수술을 통하여 자궁내막증으로 확진된 환자 32명을 연구 대상으로 하였고 같은 시기에 자궁경부 상피내암 또는 자궁내막증 이외의 양성 부인과 질환으로 수술적 치료를 받은 환자 34명을 대조군으로 하였다. 수술 시 자궁내막종 또는 복강내 자궁내막 이식물로부터 이소성 자궁내막조직을 얻었고, 동시에 정상위치 자궁내막조직을 생검하였다. 자궁내막조직 내의 OPN mRNA의 발현 정도는 실시간 역전사 중합효소연쇄반응을 이용하여 비교하고 단백질 발현에는 western blot 분석을 사용하였다. 각 군 간의 비교에는 ANOVA와 Krusxal-Wallis test를 사용하였으며 p-value 0.05 미만을 유의한 것으로 판정하였다. 결 과: 월경주기의 증식기와 분비기 모두에서 자궁내막중 환자의 정상위치 및 이소성 자궁내막조직에서의 OPN mRNA의 발현은 대조군의 자궁내막조직에 비해 유의하게 높은 것으로 나타났다 자궁내막중 환자에서 정상위치 자궁내막조직의 경우 OPN mRNA의 발현은 증식기에 비해 분비 기에서 의미 있게 증가하였으나 이소성 자궁내막 조직에서는 분비기에서 뚜렷하게 감소하는 양상으로 나타났다. OPN 단백질의 발현도 mRNA의 발현과 마찬가지로 자궁내막중 환자에서 유의하게 높은 것으로 확인되었다. 결 론: 본 연구의 결과는 자궁내막증이 있는 여성의 정상위치 및 이소성 자궁내막 조직에서의 증가된 OPN mRNA 및 단백질의 발현이 자궁내막 조직의 유착 및 침습에 관여할 수 있음을 시사한다.