Peritoneal and peripheral B-1-cell populations in patients with endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of B-1 cells in the peritoneal cavity and peripheral blood of patients with endometriosis.


METHODS
We examined 31 patients with endometriosis and 14 normal nonpregnant women. Peripheral blood cells and peritoneal exudate cells (PECs) were stained with FITC or PE-labeled anti-CD5/CD19 monoclonal antibodies. Immunofluorescence analysis was performed using a flow cytometer. The significance of differences between the patient and control groups was determined by the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in the percentages of B-1 cells in the peripheral blood of women with and without endometriosis (median, 22.7%; range, 4.7-92.3% vs median, 20.05%; range, 11.1-12.6%, respectively). Endometriosis patients with antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) demonstrated significantly elevated B-1 cells compared to both endometriosis patients without ANAs and normal controls (p < 0.005 and p < 0.05, respectively). Endometriosis patients demonstrated significantly higher B-1 cell populations (B-1 cells/total B-cell ratio) in PECs than did non-endometriosis patients (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The peripheral B-1-cell population in patients with endometriosis is related to ANA production. B-1 cells might play important roles in the development of endometriosis through autoantibody production.
Chishima
F
F
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Hayakawa
S
S
Hirata
Y
Y
Nagai
N
N
Kanaeda
T
T
Tsubata
K
K
Satoh
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology*; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000166:cytology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018956:CD5 Antigens