Cellular immune environment in endometrial polyps Tania El-Hamarneh, M.D., Alison J. Hey-Cunningham, Ph.D., Marina Berbic, Ph.D., Moamar Al-Jefout, Ph.D., Ian S. Fraser, M.D., Kirsten Black, Ph.D. Fertility and Sterility Volume 100, Issue 5, Pages 1364-1372 (November 2013) DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.06.050 Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions
Figure 1 Immunohistochemical images and box plots showing (A) tryptase-positive, (B) activated proportion of tryptase-positive, (C) chymase-positive, and (D) c-Kit–positive mast cell densities in endometrial polyps. (A) In the tryptase immunohistochemical image, many activated mast cells surrounded by extracellular tryptase staining (brown diaminobenzidine [DAB] chromogen) can be seen throughout the midsecretory phase (days 20–22) tissue (solid arrow). Small numbers of intact (nonactivated) mast cells with no surrounding extracellular DAB staining are also seen (open arrow). (B) Chymase-positive mast cells and (C) c-Kit–positive mast cells in endometrial polyps (midsecretory phase) stained brown with DAB chromagen, ×400 magnification. In the box plots, the solid line in the box represents the median value, the length of the box denotes the interquartile range (IQR), and the whiskers the minimum and maximum values of the data that are not outliers (see comment in Methods). Circles represent outliers (defined as values 1.5–3 IQRs from the end of the box), and asterisks represent extreme values (defined as values >3 IQRs from the end of the box). U-shaped bars in the box plots, indicate P < .05. Fertility and Sterility 2013 100, 1364-1372DOI: (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.06.050) Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions
Figure 2 Foxp3-positive regulatory T cells in (A) an endometrial polyp, (B) polyp-adjacent endometrium, (C) polyp-distant endometrium, and (D) control endometrium stained brown with DAB chromagen, ×400 magnification. (E) Box plot of Foxp3-positive cell densities in control endometrium, endometrial polyps, and polyp-adjacent and polyp-distant endometrium. The solid line in the box represents the median value, the length of the box denotes the interquartile range (IQR), and the whiskers the minimum and maximum values, outliers (see comment in methods). Circles represent outliers (defined as values 1.5–3 IQRs from the end of the box), and asterisks represent extreme values (defined as values >3 IQRs from the end of the box). U-shaped bars in the box plot, indicate P < .05. Fertility and Sterility 2013 100, 1364-1372DOI: (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.06.050) Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions