Histocompatibility leukocyte antigen-G is not expressed by endometriosis or endometrial tissue

Daniela Hornung, D Hornung, Hornung D, E Fujii, Eriko Fujii, Fujii E, K H Lim, Kee-Hak Lim, Lim KH, Vigne JL, Jean‐Louis Vigne, J L Vigne, M T McMaster, McMaster MT, Michael McMaster, Robert N. Taylor, R N Taylor, Taylor RN
Fertility and Sterility · 2001 · vol. 75(4) , pp. 814–817 · doi:10.1016/s0015-0282(00)01791-x · PMID:11287041 · W2122869695
article OA: bronze CC0 ⤵ 24 in-corpus citations
🔓 Open OA copy View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This study investigated the expression of histocompatibility leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) in endometriosis and normal endometrial tissue and found no detectable expression in either.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

ObjectiveThe immunological mechanisms that support persistence and proliferation of ectopic endometrial implants within the peritoneal cavity of women with endometriosis are unknown. Inhibition of natural killer (NK) and cytotoxic T-cell function has been proposed as a mechanism. We tested the hypothesis that expression of a nonclassical major histocompatibility antigen, HLA-G, might explain the local immunosuppression associated with ectopic endometrium.DesignNested case-control study of women with and without laparoscopic evidence of endometriosis.SettingReproductive endocrinology clinic at a university hospital.Patient(s)Peritoneal fluid specimens from 10 women with revised AFS stage I-IV endometriosis and from 10 age-matched normal controls without laparoscopic evidence of endometriosis were tested for the presence of HLA-G protein. Endometriosis and normal endometrial biopsies from four patients were used to prepare stromal cell cultures directly evaluated for HLA-G protein.Intervention(s)None.Main outcome measure(s)The expression of HLA-G in peritoneal fluid, tissue, and cell cultures was determined by immunoblotting with a specific monoclonal antibody.Result(s)HLA-G protein was not detectable in peritoneal fluid specimens of endometriosis patients or controls. Moreover, ectopic and normal endometrial tissues and stromal cells did not express HLA-G.Conclusion(s)Immune cell inhibition in endometriosis must be mediated by factors other than HLA-G.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometrium Histocompatibility Antigens Class I HLA Antigens Amino Acid Sequence Antibodies, Monoclonal Ascitic Fluid Ascitic Fluid Blotting, Western Case-Control Studies Cells, Cultured Choriocarcinoma Choriocarcinoma Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Epitopes Epitopes

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 (6)

Cited by (24)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-07-30T06:25:42.655704+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-13T22:13:24.901228+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK