Dunselman GA

BACKGROUND: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are essential for extracellular matrix remodelling and may contribute to the development of endometriosis. Transplantation of endometrium onto the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) results i…

Many women harbour spots of peritoneal endometriosis without having any symptoms; this is referred to as the phenomenon endometriosis. Some of these women go on to develop symptomatic endometriosis. Although we know the factors potentially …

Peritoneal endometriosis is the result of ectopic implantation and growth of endometrium tissue that has been regurgitated into the abdominal cavity during menstruation. We have previously shown that menstrual effluent induces epithelial to…

BACKGROUND: Not all women with patent tubes develop clinically manifest endometriosis. Quality and quantity of endometrium in retrograde menstruation may be the determining factor in the development of the disease. We hypothesize that retro…

The chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) bioassay was used to investigate the early pathogenesis of endometriosis. Endometrial fragments were explanted onto the CAM. The grafts including the surrounding CAM were excised at 24, 48 or …

Sampson's transplantation theory for the pathogenesis of peritoneal endometriosis is widely accepted. The events that take place, however, on the cellular and subcellular level during the transition of endometrial tissue in the abdominal ca…

OBJECTIVE: To assess the angiogenic activity of peritoneal fluid in women with minimal to mild endometriosis and to investigate the relationship between this activity and the concentration of macrophage-derived angiogenic factors and clinic…

Previous in-vitro studies have shown that the endometrium preferentially adheres to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the amnion and peritoneum. This interaction probably involves adhesion molecules, e.g. integrins. We evaluated the express…

In a previous study on the pathogenesis of endometriosis, we observed that constituents of menstrual effluent induce morphological alterations in human mesothelial cells. In this study, we investigated whether these alterations were associa…

One of the first steps in the pathogenesis of endometriosis is the attachment of the endometrium to the peritoneal lining. Since the peritoneum is extremely fragile and hard to obtain, amnion has been used as an in-vitro model to study adhe…

Reproductive research benefits from combining animal and clinical studies. In Leuven, rabbits have constituted an animal model for many reproductive disorders, especially for those that involved surgical treatment. Much of what has been lea…

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a menstrual cup is a suitable instrument to collect antegradely shed endometrium for in vitro studies. DESIGN: A prospective, descriptive, cell biological and immunohistochemical study. SETTING: Tertiary car…

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to examine the immunohistochemical properties of epithelial cells in peritoneal fluid and to compare the staining characteristics with cells of endometrium, menstrual effluent, peritoneum, and endometriotic lesion…

OBJECTIVE: To detect cadherin and integrin expression in biopsies of endometrium in the phases of the cycle. Cell adhesion molecules may be involved in endometrial shedding during menstruation and attachment of shed endometrial tissue to th…

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression of integrins and E-cadherin in cells from peritoneal fluid (PF), endometrium, menstrual effluent, peritoneum, and endometriotic lesions during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. DESIGN: A…

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the aminoterminal propeptides of type III procollagen are increased in patients with early endometriosis and to demonstrate that the subtle lesion of endometriosis is an active stage of the disease. DESIG…

Screening for endometriosis is subject to general rules. The two most important conditions, i.e. the disorder should be well-defined and serious, and there must be an effective way to treat or prevent it through screening, are not satisfied…

Oestrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) were measured in the rabbit model of endometriosis in eutopic and ectopic endometrium of pregnant animals (n = 7) and controls (n = 7). Immunostaining of cryostat sections of ectopic …

Endometriosis may be either symptomatic or asymptomatic. Recurrence rates are mostly calculated on the basis of symptomatic patients re-presenting to their doctor. Based on the number of patients who experience recurrence of symptoms after …

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To study the isolated influence of peritoneal endometrial implants on fertility in an adhesion-free rabbit model. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-two rabbits with endometrium implants were used; 31 rabbits with fat implants served as…

The reasons for sub-fertility in patients with mild endometriosis remain unclear. Peritoneal fluid constituents may alter tubal transport and embryonic cleavage, with subsequent implantation disturbances. We used an animal model to study th…

In 25 rabbits (Group E) endometrium from the right uterine horn was transplanted onto the peritoneum. In 25 rabbits (Group C) fat was transplanted. After a recovery period of 12 weeks the does were mated, and killed 24 h later. In Group E t…

A decreased intraabdominal fibrinolytic activity has been proposed as an etiological factor in the development of endometriosis. To test this hypothesis plasminogen, fibrinogen, alpha 2-antiplasmin, alpha 2-macroglobulin, plasminogen activa…