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Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology
Published in: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research

The effect of fertility stress on endometrial and subendometrial blood flow among infertile women

Authors: Yuezhi Dong, Yanna Cai, Yu Zhang, Yurong Xing, Yingpu Sun

Published in: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

To investigate the effect of fertility stress on endometrial and subendometrial blood flow among infertile women.

Methods

This case–control study was conducted in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. The fertility problem inventory (FPI) was adopted to evaluate fertility stress. Three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasonography (3D PD-US) was performed during the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle (days 5–11) to measure endometrial thickness, pattern, endometrial and subendometrial volume (V), the vascularization index (VI), the flow index (FI) and the vascularization-FI (VFI) index. Then, 300 infertile women were separated into two groups (high-score group and low-score group) based on total FPI scores and 80 healthy women were selected as controls.

Results

No differences were found among all three groups with regard to general characteristics, endometrial thickness, pattern, endometrial and subendometrial V, VI and VFI. The endometrial and subendometrial FIs associated with different stress levels significantly differed among the three groups (F = 33.95, P < 0.001; F = 44.79, P < 0.001, respectively). The endometrial and subendometrial FIs in the control group were significantly higher than those in the high-score group and low-score groups. The endometrial and subendometrial FIs in the low-score group were significantly higher than those in the high-score group. The total FPI score was closely related to the endometrial and subendometrial FIs (r = −0.304, P < 0.001; r = −0.407, P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Fertility stress was associated with endometrial and subendometrial flow index. Whether fertility stress might affect pregnancy outcome by reducing endometrial and subendometrial blood flow requires further research.
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Metadata
Title
The effect of fertility stress on endometrial and subendometrial blood flow among infertile women
Authors
Yuezhi Dong
Yanna Cai
Yu Zhang
Yurong Xing
Yingpu Sun
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7827
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-017-0236-7

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