Decreased Cytotoxicity of Peripheral and Peritoneal Natural Killer Cell in Endometriosis.
Endometriosis causes significant chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and infertility and affects 10% of all women. In endometriosis, ectopic endometrium surviving after retrograde menstruation exhibits an abnormal immune response characterized by increased levels of activated macrophages and inflammatory cytokines. Particularly, dysfunctional natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease by either facilitating or inhibiting the survival, implantation, and proliferation of endometrial cells. NK cells in the peritoneum and peritoneal fluid exhibit reduced levels of cytotoxicity in women with endometriosis. Several cytokines and inhibitory factors in the serum and peritoneal fluid also dysregulate NK cell cytotoxicity. Additionally, increased numbers of immature peripheral NK cells and induction of NK cell apoptosis are evident in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis. The high rate of endometriosis recurrence after pharmaceutical or surgical treatment, which is associated with dysfunctional NK cells, indicates that new immunomodulatory management strategies are required. A good understanding of immune dysfunction would enable improvement of current treatments for endometriosis.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 64 Daeheung-ro, Jung-gu, Daejeon 34943, Republic of Korea.
InCheul
I
Jeung
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 59 Dongsu-ro, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon 21431, Republic of Korea.
Keunyoung
K
Cheon
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpodae-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea.
Mee-Ran
MR
Kim
D016923:Cell Death; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000473:pathology*
D016207:Cytokines