Autoimmunity to Endometrium and Ovary in Endometriosis

Abstract

Antibody titres to whole ovary, theca cells, granulosa cells and endometrium were determined by passive haemagglutination and immunofluorescence assays in sera and in cervical and vaginal secretions from 13 patients with endometriosis. Antibody titres to endometrium (mean log2 ±s.e.m., 7-08+0-80; P<0-0001), ovary (3-58+0-87; P= 0-0092), theca cells (4-42+0-73; P<0-0001) and granulosa cells (3-33+0-63; P=0-0024) were significantly higher in the patients' sera than in sera from 15 normal non-pregnant females. Antibody titres to granulosa cells were elevated (7-97 + 1-46; P= 0-0424) in their cervical secretions. Antibody titres to all tissues tested were similar in vaginal secretions of patients and controls. Immunofluorescent antibody assay of biopsied endometrical tissue and sera from the patients revealed the antibodies to be primarily IgG and IgA. The results suggest that autoantibodies to endometrium and ovary are present in patients with endometriosis.

Scar endometriosis: A series of 3 cases

“…5 Another hypothesis suggests the presence of diminished natural killer cell immunity, which lessens the clearance of endometrial cells from peritoneum. 6 Endometrioma developing in CS scar tissue can be explained on the basis of theory of transportation. An increase in the frequency of endometrioma has been reported in proportion to the increasing number of CS in recent years.…”

Laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis-associated infertility: a pathophysiologic approach

“…Autoantibodies, several cytokines, and growth factors display increased levels in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis. Mathur et al were the first to report IgG and IgA antibodies in the vaginal and cervical secretions of women with endometriosis [66]. Gleicher et al [67] in their study found a wide variety of autoantibodies in endometriosis patients suggesting polyclonal activation of B cell, characteristic of autoimmune disease.…”

Ovarian Biomarkers in Infertility

“…Autoimmunity to endometrium and ovary has been studied in patients with endometriosis (Mathur et al, 1982). It has been demonstrated the presence of elevated autoantibody titers to whole ovary, theca cells, granulosa cells and endometrium in the patient sera, and to GLCs in the cervical secretions.…”