Human peritoneal macrophage and T lymphocyte populations in mild and severe endometriosis

The aim of this study was to characterize the phenotype of peritoneal lymphocyte and macrophage populations in mild versus severe endometriosis.

Using dual staining, antigen expression on peritoneal leukocytes from 24 women with endometriosis and 21 control patients was analyzed by flow cytometry.

All groups had CD4:CD8 ratios of 0.6, with subpopulations of CD8+ cells expressing cytotoxic marker S6F1. Mild and severe endometriosis patients had increased CD3/DR+ cells, relative to controls. Two populations of macrophages were identified by size in all groups. Mild endometriosis patients had increased percentages of small macrophages expressing CD14 and HLA DQ, compared to controls and severe disease patients. In severe disease patients, antigen expression on small macrophages did not differ from controls, but decreased percentages of large macrophages expressed CD14 relative to controls and mild disease patients.

All women with endometriosis exhibit activated peritoneal lymphocytes, whereas macrophage expression of CD14 is differentially expressed as a function of disease stage. Alterations in the functional capacity of these cells may contribute to the pathophysiology of this disease.