title: A possible mechanism of autoimmune-mediated infertility in women with endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Endometriosis has been proposed to be an autoimmune disease because of the presence of a variety of autoantibodies specific for endometrial or ovarian antigens. The object of the present study is to characterize binding specificity of anti-laminin-111 autoantibodies in infertile patients with endometriosis and to investigate whether these autoantibodies affect the in vitro embryo development.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ELISA analysis using overlapping synthesized peptides that covered the entire G domain of laminin-α1 chain was performed in infertile patients with endometriosis (n = 45). Mouse blastocysts were cultured in media containing the purified IgG from one antibody-positive serum on laminin-111-coated dishes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anti-laminin-111 autoantibodies were directed to several particular biologically functional peptide sequences in laminin-α 1 chain G domain. The tested IgG significantly inhibited the extent of in vitro trophoblast outgrowth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anti-laminin-111 autoantibodies may have major pathogenic roles on early reproductive failure including endometriosis-associated infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Chemistry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Mikiya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakatsuka
authors.forename: Tatsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiramatsu
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matsuura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018448:Models, Immunological; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies