Immunology Research Center, Immunology and Infectious Disease Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Immunology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Immunology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
J Reprod Immunol. 2020 Jun;139:103119. doi: 10.1016/j.jri.2020.103119. Epub 2020 Mar 18.
Endometriosis is one of the most common chronic gynecological disorders affecting women at reproductive age. Dysregulation of immune cells, including regulatory T (Treg) cells has contributed to the growth of ectopic lesion in patients with endometriosis.
The present study investigated the frequency of Tregs in peripheral blood and the expression of Foxp3 in eutopic and ectopic endometriotic tissues in women with and without endometriosis.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and eutopic and ectopic endometriotic tissues were obtained from 23 endometriotic and 20 non-endometriotic control women. The frequency of Treg cells in PBMCs was measured using flowcytometry and the expression of Foxp3 in eutopic and ectopic endometriotic tissues was determined by real-time PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry.
The frequency of circulating Tregs was significantly higher in endometriotic patients compared with non-endometriotic controls (P < 0.01). The mRNA and protein expression of Foxp3 in eutopic and ectopic endometriotic tissues had no significant differences between the two study groups.
Higher frequency of circulating Tregs in patients with endometriosis compared with controls may be considered as a compensatory mechanism to regulate the inflammatory condition in this disease.
子宫内膜异位症是一种常见的妇科慢性疾病，影响生育年龄的女性。免疫细胞，包括调节性 T（Treg）细胞的失调，导致子宫内膜异位症患者的异位病灶生长。
本研究调查了子宫内膜异位症患者和非子宫内膜异位症对照者外周血中 Treg 细胞的频率以及 Foxp3 在在位和异位子宫内膜组织中的表达。
从 23 例子宫内膜异位症和 20 例非子宫内膜异位症对照者中获得外周血单个核细胞（PBMCs）和在位和异位子宫内膜组织。使用流式细胞术测量 PBMCs 中 Treg 细胞的频率，通过实时 PCR、Western blot 和免疫组织化学法确定 Foxp3 在在位和异位子宫内膜组织中的表达。
与非子宫内膜异位症对照组相比，子宫内膜异位症患者循环 Treg 细胞的频率显著升高（P<0.01）。两组研究对象在位和异位子宫内膜组织中 Foxp3 的 mRNA 和蛋白表达均无显著差异。
与对照组相比，子宫内膜异位症患者循环 Treg 细胞的频率升高，可能被视为调节该疾病炎症状态的一种代偿机制。
