Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
2
Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, International Campus, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences,Yazd, Iran
3
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yas Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Research Development Centre, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
6
Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Background: Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder with known immune disturbances. The aim of this
study was to compare the frequency of different CD4+ T cells [T helper (Th)1, Th2, Th17 and regulatory T cells
(Tregs)] in peripheral blood (PB) and peritoneal fluid (PF) of patients that have early and advanced stages of endometriosis
with a control group.
Materials and Methods: In this case control study, PB and PF samples were collected from women aged 24-40 years
who underwent laparoscopy procedures. The frequency of CD4+ T subsets were analysed by flow cytometry and compared
between three study groups; early endometriosis (stage I, II), advanced endometriosis (stage III, IV) and control
(no endometriosis). T cell numbers were compared between the PB and PF in each of the aforementioned groups.
Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the study groups regarding the numbers of Th1, Th2
and Th17 cells in PB. The PF of patients with advanced endometriosis had increased numbers of Th17 cells compared
to the control group (P=0.003), with P values of 0.059 and 0.045 in both menstrual phases. Increased numbers of Th2
cells in PF from early compared to advanced stages of endometriosis were detected exclusively in the luteal phase
(P=0.035).
The control group had increased numbers of Treg and Th2 cells in the PF compared to PB (both, P value=0.046).
However, in the early stages of endometriosis there were more Th2, Th17 and Treg cells in the PF compared to PB (p
values: 0.005, 0.047 and 0.013, respectively), while the number of Th17 cells was higher in the PF compared with PB
in the advanced stages of endometriosis (P= 0.013).
Conclusion: There were increased numbers of Th17 cells in the PF of patients with advanced stages of endometriosis,
which could be related to the severity of this disease.
Keywords
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