title: Changes in the T-helper cytokine profile and in lymphocyte activation at the systemic and local levels in women with endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate regulatory cytokine synthesis and lymphocyte activation in the peripheral blood and endometrial tissue of patients with endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen women with laparoscopically diagnosed endometriosis; 20 gynecologically healthy women with previously documented fertility (control group).
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral venous blood sampling; laparoscopic collection of ectopic and matched eutopic endometrium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Messenger RNA (mRNA) for interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and IL-10 expression in peripheral and endometrium lymphocytes was assessed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; intracellular synthesis of these cytokines and lymphocyte phenotype profile were established by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both mRNA expression and intracellular synthesis of IL-4 and IL-10 were sharply increased in peripheral lymphocytes. The same changes were observed for IL-4 in ectopic endometrium of women with endometriosis. Simultaneously, elevation of the amount of pan-B cells, CD20+CD5+ B-1 cells, and activated HLA-DR+CD20+ B lymphocytes was observed in endometriosis lesions. Only an enhanced amount of B lymphocytes was seen in eutopic endometrium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endometriosis development is accompanied by the activation of a T-helper type 2 immune response at the systemic and local levels. Our results support the hypothesis regarding the autoimmune nature of endometriosis and can explain the high level of autoantibody production in patients with endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, State Research Institute of Maternity and Childhood, Ivanovo, Russia. ivniimid@ivnet.ru
authors.forename: Yulia S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Antsiferova
authors.forename: Natalia Yu
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Sotnikova
authors.forename: Lyubov V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Posiseeva
authors.forename: Artur L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Shor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4