Activity of peritoneal macrophages in endometriosis

The mechanism of infertility in women with endometriosis is still largely unclear. It is thought that peritoneal macrophages increase in number in women with endometriosis and that the macrophages phagocytize sperm or the fertilized ovum, leading to infertility. We examined the levels of phagocytosis by peritoneal macrophages in patients with and without endometriosis using a flow cytometric assay. The level of phagocytosis in the control group was significantly lower than in the group with endometriosis. Quantitative results on the level of phagocytosis by peritoneal macrophages suggest that peritoneal macrophages are one of the factors contributing to infertility associated with endometriosis.