Glycodelin is present in pinopodes of receptive-phase human endometrium and is associated with down-regulation of progesterone receptor B
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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Two Methods for Establishing Primary Human Endometrial Stromal Cells from Hysterectomy Specimens
Published on: May 23, 2014
Anneli Stavreus-Evers1, Erik Mandelin, Riitta Koistinen
1Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital-Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden. anneli.stavreus-evers@ki.se
Objective:
To test the hypothesis that glycodelin is localized on pinopodes and correlates with temporal immunostaining of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), LIF receptor (LIFR), and progesterone receptor B (PRB).
Design:
Prospective clinical study.
Setting:
Hospital-based reproductive health unit and research laboratories.
Patient(S):
Twenty-five healthy fertile women with normal menstrual cycles.
Intervention(S):
Endometrial biopsy specimens were obtained from healthy fertile women in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Immunohistochemical staining of glycodelin, ultrastructural immunostaining of glycodelin, and double staining of glycodelin and PRB.
Result(S):
Glycodelin is present in the glands when pinopodes appear. Glycodelin is localized on pinopodes but is also secreted from luminal epithelial cells regardless of pinopode formation. There was a negative correlation between glycodelin secretion from the glands and PRB staining. A weak correlation between the presence of LIFR (but not LIF) and glycodelin was found.
Conclusion(S):
Pinopode appearance, intense staining of LIFR in pinopodes and glycodelin staining in the glands are synchronized events. Down-regulation of PRB in the endometrium is concomitant with the presence of glycodelin in the endometrium, suggesting interaction.
