Immunology of endometriosis

Luiza da Gama Coelho Riccio, Luiza Gama Coelho Riccio, Santulli P, Pietro Santulli, Piétro Santulli, Louis Marcellin, Marcellin L, Mauricio Simões Abrão, Maurício Simões Abrão, Abrão MS, Frederic Batteux, Batteux F, Frédéric Batteux, Charles Chapron, Chapron C
Best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology · 2018 · vol. 50 , pp. 39–49 · doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2018.01.010 · PMID:29506962 · W3149429548
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⚙ AI-generated summary by gemini-2.5-flash-lite, 2026-06-06 ⓘ

This review explores the complex immunological mechanisms underlying endometriosis, focusing on inflammatory mediators, immune cell infiltration, and their role in disease development and progression.

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Abstract

The pathophysiology of endometriosis is not completely understood, but an aberrant immune response in the peritoneal environment seems to be crucial for the proliferation of ectopic endometrial cells - as those cells escape apoptosis and peritoneal cavity immunosurveillance. The growth of endometrial implants leads to the recruitment of a large number and diversity of immune cells and intense inflammation with increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, and angiogenesis. There is substantial evidence of aberrant function of almost all types of immune cells in women with endometriosis: decreased T cell reactivity and NK cytotoxicity, polyclonal activation of B cells and increased antibody production, increased number and activation of peritoneal macrophages, and changes in inflammatory mediators. New clinical treatments for endometriosis are an urgent need, especially nonhormonal drugs. The study of immunology may clarify its role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Cytokines Cytokines Cytokines Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Female Female Humans Humans Inflammation Inflammation Peritoneum Peritoneum Peritoneum T-Lymphocytes

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

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. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

References (100)

Cited by (50)

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