Endometrial glycogen and nidation have an importantrelationship. Nidation is known to be quiteimpossible, if the glycogen level of endometrial cellis low, even in the presence of a histologicallynormal endometrium.
Glycogen can be demonstrated by the periodic acidschiff reagent (PAS) staining technique.
I have examined the amount of glycogen in theendometrial cells by staining endometrial aspirationsmear with this PAS reagent.
Functional infertility patients have a normal infertilitywork up with a histologically normal lookingsecretory endometrium. However, by the PASstaining of the endometrial aspiration smears, Ihave demonstrated, a lowering of glycogen, contentat the cellular level in these women.
In functional infertility group of 441 cases. Negativeglycogen was present in the early secretoryphase in 32.7% of these cases compared to only11.9% in the controls.
Negative glycogen was present in the late secretoryphase in 41.6% of these cases compared to10.8% in the controls.
In the 164 cases of anovalatory infertility glycogenwas negative in 131 cases (79.8%).
This lowering of glycogen is a key point in functionalinfertility making this PAS staining techniquean important test. It can be carried out routinelyand repeatedly with great simplicity.
