title: [Association of natural killer T cells with staging of endometriosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of natural killer T cells (NKT) in the pathogenesis and staging of endometriosis (EMT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty EMT cases of stages I to IV were enrolled as the observation group, and 20 healthy volunteers served as the control group. NKT percentages in the peripheral blood and peritoneal effusions were detected by flow cytometry, and the levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were examined using ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, EMT group showed significantly lowered NKT percentages and IFN-γ and IL-4 levels in both the peripheral blood and peritoneal effusions (P<0.05). In EMT patients, NKT percentages, IFN-γ and IL-4 levels all increased significantly with the stage of EMT in the order of I>II>III>IV (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that NKT, IFN-γ and IL-4 were all inversely correlated with the stage of EMT (r>0.06, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a protective factor against EMT, NKT, together with its cytokines IFN-γ and IL-4, play an important role in EMT and is closely correlated with EMT staging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Lianjiang 524400, China. ljfckgsq@126.com
authors.forename: Saiqun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lifeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wenshan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma