Expression of angiopoietins 1, 2 and their common receptor tie-2 in relation to the size of endothelial lining gaps and expression of VEGF and VEGF receptors in idiopathic menorrhagia  Miriam Mints, M.D., Ph.D., Bo Blomgren, M.D., Ph.D., Jan Palmblad, M.D., Ph.D.  Fertility and Sterility  Volume 94, Issue 2, Pages 701-707 (July 2010) DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.03.042 Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 Micrographs showing immunostained capillaries from patients with idiopathic menorrhagia at ×40 magnification. (A) Angiopoietin-1 positive vessel, with a brim of diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride staining on the luminal side of the vessel. Background staining was performed with hematoxylin. (B) Angiopoietin-2 positive vessel with diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride stain in endothelial cells as well as in adjacent, abluminal cells. The arrow points at the vessel. (C) Tie-2 staining, similarly located as in B. (D) Double staining and imaging with confocal microscopy. The section was stained with antibodies to CD34 (in red) and to smooth muscle actin-α (in green). This overlay shows the green pericytes with typical projections on the abluminal side of the endothelial cells, but with some overlap (yellow). The arrow points at a gap, not stained for CD34. (E–G) Double staining and imaging with confocal microscopy. The section was stained with antibodies to tie-2 (in green, E) and to CD34 (in red, F), and the overlay (G) shows that the green stain partly covers areas abluminal of the endothelial cells. The arrow points at a gap, not stained for CD34. Fertility and Sterility 2010 94, 701-707DOI: (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.03.042) Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

Figure 2 Number of angiopoietin-1 stained vessels in controls (Ctrl) and in patients with idiopathic menorrhagia (IM), as assessed for all menstrual phases (left) or for the secretory phase only (right). ∗P<.05, as detailed in the text. Mean and 95% confidence intervals. Fertility and Sterility 2010 94, 701-707DOI: (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.03.042) Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

Figure 3 Correlations for angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 (left) and for VEGFR-3 and angiopoietin-1 (right). The correlation coefficients and significance figures are given in the Results section. Fertility and Sterility 2010 94, 701-707DOI: (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.03.042) Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions