Course 6

The impact of the reproductive tract environment on implantation success

Organised by the Special Interest Group Endometriosis/Endometrium

Course co-ordinators: Hilary Critchley United Kingdom, (SIGEE Coordinator) and Anneli Stavreus-Evers (Sweden, SIGEE Deputy Coordinator)

Course desciption: Multiple factors impact on implantation success. This course will address the potential systemic and local environmental influences on embryo implantation.

Target audience: This course will appeal to Obstetricians and Gynaecologists who manage patients with endometriosis and fibroids and in particular those practitioners with an interest in managing patients in early pregnancy/ problematic early pregnancy. Presentation content will also be of interest to basic scientists and paramedicals.

Chairs: Hilary Critchley (United Kingdom) and Anneli Stavreus-Evers (Sweden)

Effects of the uterine environment

09:00 – 09:30	Endometrial gene pathways important for implantation / Anneli Stavreus-Evers (Sweden)
09:30 – 09:45	Discussion
09:45 – 10:15	Do uterine fibroids cause implantation failure? / Peter Rogers (Australia)
10:15 – 10:30	Discussion
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee break
Effects of the tubal environment
11:00 – 11:30	The expression of receptivity markers in the Fallopian tube epithelium / Antonis Makrigiannakis (Greece)
11:30 - 11:45	Discussion
11:45 – 12:15	Changes in the Fallopian tube microenvironment predisposing to tubal Implantation / Andrew Horne (United Kingdom)
12:15 – 12:30	Discussion
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch

Effects of the pelvic environment

13:30 – 14:00	Perturbations in endometrial gene and protein expression in women with endometriosis: potential effects on embryo implantation / Amelie Fassbender (Belgium)
14:00 – 14:15	Discussion
14:15 – 14:45	Can pelvic infection explain implantation failure? - Siladitya Bhattycharya (United Kingdom)
14.45 - 15.00	Discussion
15:00 – 15:30	Coffee break
Effects of the systemic environment

15:30 – 16:00	Obesity and the endometrium: effects on implantation / Jose Bellver (Spain)
16:00 – 16:15	Disussion
16:15 – 16:45	The role of thrombophilia/haematological disorders and impact on endometrial function – Lesley Regan (United Kingdom)
16.45 – 17.00	Discussion