The goal is to investigate whether endometrial flushing with Lipiodol enhances fertility. Therefore, anatomo-pathological, histochemical and transcriptional changes of the endometrium after Lipiodol bathing in a general population of healthy volunteers will be determined.
A single-centre, cross-over, open-label trial will be performed. Healthy volunteers, fulfilling the inclusion/exclusion criteria, will be asked to do blood samples and ultrasounds for the detection of the LH (luteinizing hormone) surge in a natural cycle. The intervention group will undergo endometrial flushing with Lipiodol between day 6 and 8 of the cycle, while the control group between day 6 and 8 of the cycle will have a mock catheter introduction without any Lipiodol flush. An endometrial biopsy will be performed 7 days after the LH peak in all the participants. Furthermore, all the participants will undergo one cycle with flushing and one cycle with introduction of a mock catheter but without flushing with any medication. The wash-out period between the 2 biopsies will be 3 months.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20
Endometrial flushing with Lipiodol between day 6 and 8 of the cycle
Introduction of a mock catheter in the uterus between day 6 and 8 of the cycle
Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel
Brussels, Belgium
RECRUITINGAnatomo-pathological changes of the endometrium after Lipiodol bathing
To determine whether the treatment with lipiodol alters the leukocyte population. Changes in the uterine dendritic cell population, collections of macrophages and an increased number of inflammatory cells will be investigated. A sub-ephitelial re-location of lymphocytes (CD3-CD7 and CD8 (CD: Cluster of Differentiation)) will be looked for.
Time frame: 7 days after LH peak
Histochemical changes of the endometrium after Lipiodol bathing
The immunohistochemistry for the key implantation factors, the subsequent molecular markers will be examined: estrogen receptors (ER) (α/β), progesterone receptors (PR) (A, B), prolactine (PRL), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGF-BP1), leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), Mucins (MUC1), integrin αVβ3, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEG-F), transforming growth factor (TGF-β1).
Time frame: 7 days after LH peak
Transcriptional changes of the endometrium after Lipiodol bathing
RNA sequencing
Time frame: 7 days after LH peak
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