Endometriosis and type 1 allergies/immediate type hypersensitivity: a systematic review

Bungum HF, Helle Folge Bungum, Christian Vestergaard, Knudsen UB, Ulla Breth Knudsen
European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology · 2014 · vol. 179 , pp. 209–215 · doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2014.04.025 · PMID:24857310 · W2021374000
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This systematic review investigated the association between endometriosis and type 1 allergies, also known as immediate type hypersensitivity reactions.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is a chronic and debilitating disorder affecting up to 5-10% of women in reproductive age. Investigators have described deficiency in cellular immunity in women suffering from endometriosis, and in the recent years endometriosis has been linked to other diseases, allergic disease being one of them. The objective of this paper is to systematically review the existing literature on the possible association between endometriosis and allergic disease. This review is based on the recommendations by the preferred reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. PubMed and Embase were searched for studies on women diagnosed with endometriosis and with manifestations of allergic disease who were compared to a reference group. Out of 316 articles screened, 6 were reviewed and 5 ultimately met the inclusion criteria. Four out of the five studies reported a positive correlation between endometriosis and allergic manifestations, including hay fever, sinus allergic rhinitis, and food intolerance/sensitivities (food allergy). Investigators reported an odds ratio (OR) as high as 4.28 (95% CI: 2.93-6.27) for a positive history of allergy among women suffering from endometriosis. Equivocal results were found on asthma prevalence in women with endometriosis. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies, no meta-analyses could be performed. The available literature clearly indicates that women with endometriosis are at an increased risk of allergic disorders compared to controls, but due to the lack of a concise definition of allergic disease and therefore diagnostic criteria, further studies are needed in order to draw firm conclusions on the association between endometriosis and allergic disease.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Hypersensitivity Endometriosis Female Humans Hypersensitivity Prevalence Risk

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (46)

Cited by (32)

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