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Circulating and Endometrial Regulatory T Cell and Related Populations in Endometriosis and Infertility: Endometriosis Is Associated with Blunting of Endometrial Cyclical Effects and Reduced Proportions in Moderate-Severe Disease.

Authors :
Hey-Cunningham AJ
Riaz A
Fromm PD
Kupresanin F
Markham R
McGuire HM
Source :
Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) [Reprod Sci] 2022 Jan; Vol. 29 (1), pp. 229-242. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Jun 23.
Publication Year :
2022

Abstract

Evidence to date supports regulatory T cell (Treg) alterations in endometriosis; however, the relationship remains unclear, and Tregs have not previously been investigated with respect to infertility in endometriosis. This prospective cross-sectional cohort study details circulating and endometrial tissue-specific disturbances in Tregs and broader gated populations in women of reproductive age with and without endometriosis (n = 57 and 29, respectively) using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Participants were characterised by menstrual cycle phase, r-ASRM endometriosis disease stage and fertility status.In the endometrium of women with endometriosis, endometrial Tregs and CD4+ lymphocyte proportions did not change between the proliferative and secretory phases, while in women without the disease, they significantly decreased (p = 0.045 and p = 0.039, respectively). In women with endometriosis, endometrial Tregs were lower than in women without endometriosis overall (p = 0.050 as a proportion of all CD45+ immune cells). We have shown for the first time that proportions of CD4+ lymphocytes (p = 0.021), overall lymphocytes (p = 0.034) and non-granulocytes (p = 0.027) were significantly decreased in the endometrium of women with moderate-severe (r-ASRM stages III and IV) compared to minimal-mild (r-ASRM stages I and II) endometriosis. During the secretory phase, circulating Treg proportions were significantly increased in infertile compared to fertile women (p = 0.049). This study confirms differences in endometrial Tregs in women with endometriosis, with blunting of normal menstrual cyclical variations, reduced proportions during the proliferative phase and disease stage-specific relationships.<br /> (© 2021. Society for Reproductive Investigation.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1933-7205
Volume :
29
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
34160778
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-021-00658-4