Work

Integrating salpingoscopy and immunohistochemistry to improve tubal infertility diagnosis: a retrospective cohort study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction Tubal factor infertility is one of the most prevalent and diagnostically complex causes of female infertility. Standard imaging modalities, including hysterosalpingography and laparoscopy, frequently fail to detect subtle mucosal or molecular abnormalities. This study investigated whether combining salpingoscopy with immunohistochemical (IHC) profiling improves diagnostic precision and prognostic assessment in women with tubal-factor infertility. Methods This retrospective observational cohort study included 197 women who underwent laparoscopy between April 2020 and February 2025. Salpingoscopy was used to grade mucosal pathology severity, and ampullary biopsies were analyzed by IHC for CD138, Ki-67, and estrogen/progesterone receptors. A composite prognosis score incorporated clinical history, duration of conservative therapy, salpingoscopic findings, and IHC results. Spearman's rank correlation assessed associations between diagnostic parameters and pregnancy outcomes (natural or assisted). Results Higher salpingoscopic severity scores were significantly associated with reduced pregnancy likelihood ( r = −0.457; p < 0.0001). Elevated IHC scores similarly correlated with decreased conception rates ( r = −0.263; p = 0.0002). Tubal dilations and adhesions showed negative associations with reproductive outcomes ( r = −0.232; p = 0.001). In contrast, the composite prognosis score demonstrated a strong positive correlation with treatment success ( r = 0.578; p < 0.0001). Discussion Integrating salpingoscopic visualization with IHC profiling enhances detection of subtle mucosal and molecular abnormalities that are frequently missed by conventional diagnostic approaches. This combined modality offers superior prognostic accuracy and may guide personalized surgical and assisted reproductive treatment strategies. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Kazakhstan Medical University «KSPH» (IRB-64-2023).

Source: Frontiers in Reproductive Health

DOI: 10.3389/frph.2025.1701315

Authors: Adalyat Alenova, Anuar Korkan, Almagul Kauysheva, Islam Magalov

Institutions: Kazakhstan Medical University, Astana Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan Medical University

Language: English

Topic: Gynecological conditions and treatments

Subfield: Obstetrics and Gynecology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,077