Cytosolic and nuclear progesterone receptors in normal and luteal-phase-defect endometrial cells

Endometrial biopsies were taken from 93 infertility patients registered in the Reproductive Endocrinology Clinic at the Medical College of Ohio. These endometrial specimens were assayed for nuclear and cytoplasmic progesterone receptors. Only the data from 53 normoprolactinemic euthyroid and nonhirsute patients were considered. Eighteen patients were found to have luteal phase defect by two consecutive out-of-phase biopsies. The remaining 35 patients had in-phase biopsies and were used as controls. Both groups were similar in age and clinical characteristics. Although we noted that the luteal-phase-defect group had fewer nuclear and cytoplasmic progesterone receptors than did the control group, the difference was not statistically significant.