Endometrial seedlings. A survival instinct? Immunomodulation and its role in the pathophysiology of endometriosis.

M Portelli, Mark Portelli, Joël Pollacco, J Pollacco, K Sacco, Keith Sacco, P Schembri-Wismayer, Pierre Schembri-Wismayer, J Calleja-Agius, Calleja-Agius J, Jean Calleja‐Agius
Minerva ginecologica · 2011 · vol. 63(6) , pp. 563–70 · PMID:22036759 · W93240077
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 8 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-12 ⓘ

This paper explores how immune system dysregulation, particularly altered cytokine profiles and cell adhesion molecule expression, contributes to the survival and proliferation of ectopic endometrial cells in endometriosis.

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Abstract

Endometriosis occurs when ectopic cells from the endometrium implant within the peritoneum. It is considered as a disease of multifactorial aetiology and affects 7-10% of women of reproductive age worldwide. In endometriosis, the immune system is thought to be dysfunctional and various studies have shown cytokine imbalance. Commonly upregulated cytokines include Tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interferon gamma and interleukin-10. Through analysis of the molecular makeup of the peritoneal fluid, a change is shown to occur, conferring resistance from macrophages and lymphocytes to endometrial cells. This is possibly due to a reduced Inter-cellular adhesion molecule-1 synthesis. Survival of ectopic endometrial cells also arises through the expression of human leukocyte antigens. Apart from the survival of ectopic/eutopic cells in endometriosis, there is marked cellular proliferation, which has also been attributed to a change in the expression of proteins such as Bcl-2-Associated X protein, B-cell lymphoma-2 protein, transforming growth factor-beta and the enzyme aromatase. Danazol and aromatase inhibitors modulate the immune system, thus allowing partial restoration of cytokine levels. Pharmacogenomics may be the way forward in developing novel treatment modalities for endometriosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Apoptosis Cell Proliferation Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Female Forecasting Humans

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.

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