title: Detection of antiendometrial antibodies in patients with endometriosis: methodological issues.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if methodological reasons explain previous inability of a single investigator to detect antiendometrial antibodies in patients with endometriosis by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera of selected patients were tested by standard IIF and recently reported methodology. Alternate diluent experiments were conducted to explain discordant results.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera were obtained preoperatively, and testing was completed in an institutional research laboratory. Results are compared with surgical findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients, seven with endometriosis and six without endometriosis, 40 years of age or less who are presenting for gynecological surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Indirect immunofluorescence was graded according to the presence or absence of cytoplasmic staining, intensity of the staining, and the lowest dilution at which staining was observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The standard IIF method repeatedly demonstrated the presence of cytoplasmic staining for the presence of antiendometrial antibodies in patients with endometriosis, whereas modified methods did not produce similar positive staining results. During the alternate dilution experiments, when fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugate (FITC) was diluted in animal sera, negative results were obtained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The variations used in alternate methodology and failure to titrate FITC reported by other investigators are possible reasons for false-negative results reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City 73190.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wild
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Shivers
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Medders
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate