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Establishment of an Experimental Mouse Model of Endometrioma to Study its Related Infertility

Establishment of an Experimental Mouse Model of Endometrioma to Study its Related Infertility

Published on: April 5, 2024

Soluble Factors CD14, CD163, and Migration Inhibitory Factor Are Associated with Endometriosis-Related Infertility

Nanda Yuli Rahmawati¹, Fadhil Ahsan², Budi Santoso²

¹Doctoral Program of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia.

Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation

|April 3, 2024

Abstract

Objectives:

Myeloid cell-derived factors contribute to the immunopathology of endometriosis. Soluble CD14 (sCD14), CD163 (sCD163), and MIF serve as in vivo markers of myeloid function. However, these soluble molecules are largely unexplored in women with endometriosis-related infertility cases. We investigated three soluble markers, namely sCD14, sCD163, and MIF, in cases of infertility associated with endometriosis and correlated its level to the stage of endometriosis.

Design:

Eighty-seven women newly diagnosed with endometriosis or other benign gynecologic control cases linked to infertility were prospectively recruited and underwent diagnostic laparoscopy.

Participants:

Forty-four patients with endometriosis were included in this study, comprising 19 patients with early-endometriosis (stages I and II) and 25 late-endometriosis (stages III and IV) based on the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine (rASRM) classification. The remaining 43 patients constituted a control group with infertility due to other causes.

Methods:

The levels of sCD14, sCD163, and MIF in serum and peritoneal fluid were assessed using ELISA.

Results:

Endometriosis women exhibited significantly higher serum levels of sCD163 and MIF levels compared to the control group. Both sCD163 and MIF levels displayed a positive correlation with the rASRM adhesion score. Moreover, the MIF level in serum had a positive correlation with the rASRM endometriosis score. In receiver operating characteristic analysis, serum sCD163 and MIF could significantly discriminate endometriosis and non-endometriosis in infertility cases.

Limitations:

Some limitations of the current study deserve to be underlined. First, the sensitive ELISA method was the sole-validated tool for detecting the markers in patient samples. Second, healthy or fertile women were not involved as the control group.

Conclusions:

The elevated systemic levels of sCD163 and MIF correlated with the severity of endometriosis. These soluble molecules have a potential diagnostic capacity as a non-invasive biomarker. Furthermore, our data warrants future studies on the underlying mechanism of sCD163 and MIF in endometriosis-related infertility.

Insights

Elevated serum levels of soluble CD163 (sCD163) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) correlate with endometriosis severity. These markers show potential as non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosing endometriosis-related infertility.

Area of Science:

Reproductive immunology
Gynecologic pathology
Biomarker discovery

Background:

Myeloid cells influence endometriosis immunopathology.
Soluble CD14 (sCD14), CD163 (sCD163), and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) are markers of myeloid function.
These markers are understudied in endometriosis-related infertility.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate serum and peritoneal fluid levels of sCD14, sCD163, and MIF in women with endometriosis-related infertility.
To correlate these marker levels with endometriosis stage and severity.
To assess the diagnostic potential of these markers in distinguishing endometriosis.

Main Methods:

Prospective recruitment of 87 women undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy for infertility.
Analysis of 44 endometriosis patients (19 early-stage, 25 late-stage) and 43 controls.
Quantification of sCD14, sCD163, and MIF using ELISA in serum and peritoneal fluid.

Main Results:

Endometriosis patients had significantly higher serum sCD163 and MIF levels than controls.
Both sCD163 and MIF levels positively correlated with the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine (rASRM) adhesion score.
MIF levels also positively correlated with the overall rASRM endometriosis score.
Serum sCD163 and MIF demonstrated significant discriminatory capacity between endometriosis and non-endometriosis cases.

Conclusions:

Elevated systemic sCD163 and MIF levels are associated with endometriosis severity.
These soluble molecules show promise as non-invasive biomarkers for endometriosis.
Further research is warranted to elucidate the role of sCD163 and MIF in endometriosis-related infertility.

Read full analysis

Keywords:

Endometriosis Infertility Migration inhibitory factor sCD14 sCD163

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