The suppression of peritoneal cellular immunity in women with endometriosis could be restored after gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Our previous study reported that peritoneal natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity and CD3+CD25+ lymphocyte subpopulation were suppressed in women with advanced endometriosis. Whether these phenomena are general for all stages of endometriosis and whether these alterations could be restored by long-term use of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) are further tested in this study.


METHODS
Lymphocyte subpopulations (B cells, NK cells, T cells, and T-cell activation markers such as CD69, HLA-DR, and CD25) and NK cell cytotoxicity of peripheral blood and peritoneal fluid by dual-color flow cytometry and 51Cr release assay in 30 cases of endometriosis were compared with those in 26 controls. We also compared these changes before and after 6-month treatment with GnRHa for advanced endometriosis.


RESULTS
Compared with the controls, only those women with advanced endometriosis showed lower NK cytotoxicity in peritoneal fluid mononuclear cells (PFMC). The CD3+CD69+ lymphocyte subpopulation decreased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of advanced endometriosis, while the CD3+CD25+ lymphocyte subpopulation decreased in both PBMC and PFMC of mild and advanced endometriosis. After GnRHa treatment, the CD3+CD69+ lymphocyte subpopulation increased in both PBMC and PFMC and the CD3+CD25+ lymphocyte subpopulation increased in PFMC, but not in PBMC.


CONCLUSIONS
Impaired local immunological function in the PF of endometriosis was confirmed by this study and the impairments could be restored after long-term GnRHa therapy.
Wu
M Y
MY
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China.
Chao
K H
KH
Chen
S U
SU
Chen
H F
HF
Yang
Y S
YS
Huang
S C
SC
Ho
H N
HN
D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000819:agonists* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate / Q000627:therapeutic use
D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone