Immunological factors in endometriosis-associated reproductive failure: studies in fertile and infertile women with and without endometriosis |
| |
Authors: | Martinez-Roman S; Balasch J; Creus M; Fabregues F; Carmona F; Vilella R; Vanrell JA |
| |
Institution: | Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Spain. |
| |
Abstract: | Immunopathophysiological mechanisms in endometriosis-associated
reproductive failure were studied in appropriate populations: infertile and
fertile women with and without endometriosis. The incidence of sera
positive for any of the autoantibodies tested among infertile women with
endometriosis (n = 25) was similar to that observed in the three control
groups unexplained infertility patients (n = 25) and fertile women with (n
= 10) and without (n = 25) endometriosis]. The mean volume of peritoneal
fluid was significantly elevated in women with endometriosis (both fertile
and infertile) as compared with patients without endometriosis (fertile or
infertile). The concentration of peritoneal fluid leukocytes and the
percentage of cells positive for macrophage markers were significantly
increased and the percentage of T lymphocytes significantly decreased in
infertile women with endometriosis but not in patients with unexplained
infertility and fertile women with endometriosis, as compared with fertile
controls without endometriosis. Macrophages from infertile patients with
endometriosis had higher sperm phagocytosis than did those from infertile
women without endometriosis or fertile subjects with or without
endometriosis. Incidences of serum and peritoneal fluid samples embryotoxic
to the in-vitro development of 2-cell mouse embryos were significantly
higher in infertile patients with endometriosis than in unexplained
infertility patients and fertile women with or without endometriosis. It is
concluded that immunological mechanisms of endometriosis-associated
infertility exist but that these peritoneal immunological factors in
infertile women with endometriosis are related to their subfertility rather
than to the presence of ectopic endometrial implants. This is supported by
the lack of immunological abnormalities observed among fertile women with
endometriosis. These immunological abnormalities are lacking in patients
with unexplained infertility.
|
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 Oxford 等数据库收录! |
|