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The Disorders of Endometrial Receptivity in PCOS and Its Mechanisms

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Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a mysterious and complicated endocrine disease with the combination of metabolic, reproductive, psychological dysfunctions. Impaired endometrial receptivity and ovulation disorders/anovulation are both important causes of PCOS-related infertility. However, change in endometrium has never received the same attention as ovulatory dysfunction. Besides, putting emphasis on endometrial function may be more realistic for PCOS-related infertility, given the wide use of assisted reproductive technology. The present review focuses on the disorders of endometrial receptivity of patients with PCOS, summarizes the changes of the indicators of endometrial receptivity including leukemia inhibitory factor, homeobox genes A, pinopodes, αvβ3-integrin, and intercellular junctions and also analyzes the possible mechanisms of decreased endometrial receptivity and its relationship with the main endocrine and metabolic disorders of PCOS such as hyperandrogenism, inflammation, insulin resistance, and obesity. Despite several biomarkers have been found to be associated with decreased endometrial receptivity in PCOS, the clinical relevance of these findings still awaits future clarification.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the support from Natural Science Foundation from Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality.

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This study was funded by Natural Science Foundation from Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (grant no. 17ZR1403100 to Xue-Lian Li).

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  1. Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, People’s Republic of China

    Nan-Xing Jiang & Xue-Lian Li

  2. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, People’s Republic of China

    Nan-Xing Jiang & Xue-Lian Li

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Jiang, NX., Li, XL. The Disorders of Endometrial Receptivity in PCOS and Its Mechanisms. Reprod. Sci. 29, 2465–2476 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-021-00629-9

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