Alison J. Hey‐Cunningham

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence that pregnancy reduces endometriotic lesions or symptoms, however studies indicate that people with endometriosis are commonly advised to get pregnant to manage or treat endometriosis. This study soug…

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…

OBJECTIVE: To study the localization of and quantify different immune cell populations in red, black, and white peritoneal endometriotic lesions and compare immune cell densities between lesions and the surrounding tissue. DESIGN: Cross-se…

STUDY QUESTION: What are the detailed endometrial tissue specific and systemic dendritic cell (DC) subset disturbances in endometriosis? SUMMARY ANSWER: This study confirms myeloid DC (mDC) and plasmacytoid DC subsets are readily identified…

In endometriosis, the lymphatic and immune systems are implicated in disease establishment and progression. The objective of this pilot study was to examine endometrial-like, and for the first time, immune cell populations in lymph nodes as…

Angiogenesis is a critical step in the development of ectopic lesions during endometriosis. Although total vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) A is elevated in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis, there are contradictory …

Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disorder characterized by the presence of tissue resembling the endometrium in locations outside the uterus. The pathogenesis of endometriosis is still unknown; however, it is believed that the lympha…

Purpose Endometriosis is a gynecological disease often characterized by severe pelvic pain, including perimenstrual and intermenstrual pain and dyspareunia. Sensory nerve fibers within peritoneal lesions have previously been shown to contri…

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctional immune response may be implicated in endometriosis pathogenesis, and dendritic cells (DC) may play greater roles in this response than previously recognized. This study set out to evaluate peripheral blood and endo…

Endometriosis is a common, benign gynecological disease affecting 10 - 15% of reproductively aged women. It is characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue at sites outside the uterus. The most widely accepted theory of endometr…

Recent studies suggest that changes in certain uterine immune cell populations in endometrium of women with endometriosis are likely to precede changes at ectopic sites. This preliminary study is a first look into the function of uterine-dr…

Study objectiveTo investigate the immune environment of endometrial polyps (EPs).DesignProspective case-control study.SettingTeaching hospital and university research laboratory.Patient(s)Reproductive-age women undergoing hysteroscopy dilat…

Despite the importance of neuropilins (NRPs) in a number of processes that are altered in endometriosis, such as angiogenesis and neuronal guidance, these molecules have not been previously studied in the disease. Similarly, potent lymphang…

Mounting evidence suggests that immunological responses may be altered in endometriosis. The baboon (Papio anubis) is generally considered the best model of endometriosis pathogenesis. The objective of the current study was to investigate f…

Purpose While the exact pathogenesis of endometriosis remains unclear, it has been hypothesized that fragments of viable endometrial tissue shed at menstruation can transit via the lymphatic circulation and establish endometriotic lesions a…

Endometriosis has been recognized as the principal cause of pelvic pain in most modern industrialized societies for the past 20 years, but mechanisms are remarkably poorly understood. There is great variability in the types and severity of …

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition, associated with highly dysregulated immune response at both uterine and peritoneal levels. Surprisingly, Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells, which control and suppress a range of immune respons…

Purpose Endometriosis is a common disease, associated with persistent and severe symptoms including infertility and pain, however, pathogenesis remains poorly understood. It has been hypothesized that fragments of viable endometrial tissue …

Endometriosis is a disease that still presents many puzzles to clinicians and basic research scientists. Until recently, it has been regarded as a condition that arises when normal endometrium adheres to the peritoneal surface and then grow…