Center for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012 May 6;354(1-2):85-93. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2012.01.002. Epub 2012 Jan 25.
The complexity of the human female reproductive tract (FRT) with its multiple levels of hormonally controlled immune protection has only begun to be understood. Dissecting the functions and roles of the immune system in the FRT is complicated by the differential hormonal regulation of its distinct anatomical structures that vary throughout the menstrual cycle. Although many fundamental mechanisms of steroid regulation of reproductive tract immune function have been determined, the effects of exogenous synthetic steroids or endocrine disruptors on immune function and disease susceptibility in the FRT have yet to be evaluated in detail. There is increasing evidence that environmental or synthetic molecules can alter normal immune function. This review provides an overview of the innate and adaptive immune systems, the current status of immune function in the FRT and the potential risks of environmental or pharmacological molecules that may perturb this system.
女性生殖道（FRT）的复杂性及其多层次的激素控制免疫保护功能才刚刚开始被人们所理解。由于其不同的解剖结构受到不同的激素调节，在整个月经周期中都有变化，因此解析免疫系统在 FRT 中的功能和作用变得复杂起来。尽管已经确定了许多甾体激素调节生殖道免疫功能的基本机制，但外源性合成甾体或内分泌干扰物对 FRT 中免疫功能和疾病易感性的影响尚未详细评估。越来越多的证据表明，环境或合成分子可以改变正常的免疫功能。本综述概述了固有和适应性免疫系统、FRT 中免疫功能的现状，以及可能扰乱该系统的环境或药理分子的潜在风险。
