Decrease in interferon gamma production and impairment of T-lymphocyte proliferation in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to verify regional immune modulations and to test the effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist in women with endometriosis.


METHODS
Concentrations of peritoneal cytokines, including interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-2, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, interleukin-6, granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor, interferon gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were compared in women with and without endometriosis. Peritoneal cytokine and interleukin-2 production were examined by adding various mitogens to peritoneal fluid mononuclear cells of women with advanced endometriosis before and after gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment.


RESULTS
A significant increase in peritoneal interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and a decrease in interferon gamma were noted in women with endometriosis. After gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment interleukin-6 decreased and interferon gamma increased. A significant impairment of interleukin-2 production of peritoneal fluid mononuclear cells by phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen stimulation was demonstrated in endometriosis, and production could be restored after gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that regional immunologic dysfunction might be invoked in the disease process of endometriosis.
Ho
H N
HN
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine and the Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China.
Wu
M Y
MY
Chao
K H
KH
Chen
C D
CD
Chen
S U
SU
Chen
H F
HF
Yang
Y S
YS
D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016729:Leuprolide