title: Decrease in interferon gamma production and impairment of T-lymphocyte proliferation in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine and the Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016729:Leuprolide