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In vitro lymphocyte activity in women with endometriosis--an altered immune response?
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Alabama, Mobile.
Objective:
To determine the possible role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.
Design:
The lymphocyte proliferative response in the presence of autologous endometrial cells was assayed by tritiated thymidine incorporation.
Setting:
Patients were recruited from a university outpatient clinic.
Main Outcome Measure:
To determine the lymphocyte proliferative response to endometrium in controls and patients with endometriosis.
Participants:
Twenty patients with endometriosis and 26 control women were studied.
Results:
The lymphocyte proliferative response in the presence of autologous endometrium was significantly lower in women with endometriosis when compared with controls.
Conclusion:
This study indicates that an altered lymphocyte/endometrial cell relationship is operational in women with endometriosis and may contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease.