Different concentrations of interleukins in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis: relationships with lymphocyte subsets

Abstract

The present study explored the possible relationships between immune cell subsets and interleukin (IL)-12 or IL-13 levels in the peritoneal fluid of patients with and without endometriosis. Peritoneal fluid samples were obtained from 80 women while they were undergoing laparoscopy for pain, infertility, tubal ligation or re-anastomosis. The American Fertility Society scoring system was used to determine the extension of endometriosis. The peritoneal fluid mononuclear cells were analyzed for immunophenotyping using cytometry, whereas peritoneal fluid concentrations of interleukins were measured using two ultrasensitive commercially available enzyme-linked imnunosorbent assay kits. Significantly higher peritoneal fluid IL-12 levels were found in women with moderate or severe endometriosis (stages III and IV) than in healthy controls (p < 0.01). Conversely, subjects with endometriosis showed remarkably lower peritoneal fluid IL-13 concentrations than controls, independent of the severity of the disease (p < 0.05). Considering immune system effectors, patients with endometriosis presented a significantly higher peritoneal fluid CD8+/CD4+ ratio when compared with healthy controls. Moreover, the number of peritoneal fluid CD8+ and CD4+ activated T cells was significantly lower in the former than in the latter group, independent of the endometriosis stage. Connections were observed between peritoneal fluid interleukins and peritoneal fluid T cells: both patients with endometriosis and controls presented an inverse correlation between peritoneal fluid activated T cells and IL-13 levels, and a direct correlation between peritoneal fluid T cells and IL-12 concentrations. These data seem to suggest that a reciprocal modulation exists between peritoneal fluid cytokines and T lymphocyte subsets in patients with endometriosis.

Ovarian Cancer Stroma: Pathophysiology and the Roles in Cancer Development

“…Inflammatory cytokines/chemokines are important in the progression of this disease. Ectopic endometrium demonstrates increased expression of various soluble factors, including heat shock protein 27, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-11, IL-12 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) [43,44,45]. Dysregulated immune responses are also noted.…”

“…Natural killer (NK) cells show impaired function in the women with endometriosis [46,47,48]. T cells of both inflammatory and immunosuppressive subtypes are increased in the lesions and peritoneal fluid [45,49]. Although the profiles and functions of immune cells are not fully understood, a series of studies elucidate impaired immune responses in the local lesions of endometriosis.…”

T helper (Th)1, Th2, and Th17 interleukin pathways in infertile patients with minimal/mild endometriosis

“…Fairbanks et al (27) and Galinelli et al (28) found higher levels of IL-12 in the PF of patients with endometriosis when compared with healthy controls. However, Bedaiwy et al (29) found similar levels in serum and PF of women with and without endometriosis.…”

Sperm Cells Induce Distinct Cytokine Response in Peripheral Mononuclear Cells from Infertile Women with Serum Anti-Sperm Antibodies

“…This change in patients with ASA could result in deregulated inflammation with subsequent infertility. Similar changes were found in peritoneal fluid of infertile women with moderate or severe endometriosis, suggesting that these distinct causes of infertility could have certain mechanisms in common [24]. Moreover, decrease in IL-13 could be also lead to impairment in angiogenesis, since IL-13 was identified as an important pro-angiogenic factor acting mainly through a soluble VCAM-1/α4 integrin pathway [25].…”