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Endometrial CRH and implantation: from bench to bedside

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Abstract

Endometrial corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) has been described as a mediator of decidualisation and as a contributor of maternal–fetal immunotolerance. Deregulation of the CRH expression pattern has been associated with unfavourable reproductive outcomes as well as chronic endometrium-derived inflammatory disorders, such as endometriosis and adenomyosis. The current review summarises the evidence produced regarding the role of CRH in endometrial physiology and pathophysiology and highlights recent clinical data regarding the role of CRH in improving clinical pregnancy rates in women with repeated implantation failures following in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer.

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Author notes

  1. Antonis Makrigiannakis and Thomas Vrekoussis contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Antonis Makrigiannakis

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

    Thomas Vrekoussis

  3. Choremeion Research Laboratory, First Department of Pediatrics, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Emmanouel Zoumakis

  4. Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aretaieion Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Vassilia Hatzidakis, Nicolaos Salakos & Sophia N. Kalantaridou

  5. Nursing Department, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Eugenia Vlachou

Authors
  1. Antonis Makrigiannakis
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  2. Thomas Vrekoussis
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  3. Emmanouel Zoumakis
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  4. Vassilia Hatzidakis
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  5. Eugenia Vlachou
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  6. Nicolaos Salakos
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  7. Sophia N. Kalantaridou
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Correspondence to Antonis Makrigiannakis.

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Makrigiannakis, A., Vrekoussis, T., Zoumakis, E. et al. Endometrial CRH and implantation: from bench to bedside. Hormones 17, 293–297 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42000-018-0042-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42000-018-0042-4

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