Association between FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells and occurrence of peritoneal lesions in women with ovarian endometrioma and dermoid cysts

Khaleque N Khan, Khaleque Newaz Khan, Kazuo Yamamoto, Akira Fujishita, Fujishita A, Akemi Koshiba, Koshiba A, Kuroboshi H, Haruo Kuroboshi, Satomi Sakabayashi, Sakabayashi S, Satoshi Teramukai, Nakashima M, Masahiro Nakashima, Kitawaki J, Jo Kitawaki
Reproductive BioMedicine Online · 2019 · vol. 38(6) , pp. 857–869 · doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2019.01.011 · PMID:30981619 · W2911745220
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 17 in-corpus citations
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by gemini-2.5-flash-lite, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This study investigated the relationship between FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells and the presence of peritoneal lesions in women diagnosed with ovarian endometrioma and dermoid cysts.

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

Abstract

Research questionIs there any relationship between numbers of FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells (Treg) and occurrence of peritoneal lesions in women with ovarian endometrioma and dermoid cysts?DesignRetrospective and prospective case-controlled cohort study. Peritoneal lesions were collected from 27 women with ovarian endometrioma and 25 women with dermoid cysts. Peritoneal fluid was collected from 36 women with ovarian endometrioma and 42 women with dermoid cysts. Tissue expression of Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), one of the transcription factors of Treg cells, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) were examined by immunohistochemistry. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and TGF-β levels in the peritoneal fluid were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsOvarian endometrioma cases with coexisting peritoneal lesions were significantly more frequent than dermoid cyst cases with coexistent peritoneal lesions (269/350 [76.9%] versus 74/414 [17.9%]; P < 0.001). Numbers of FOXP3+ Treg cells were significantly higher in peritoneal lesions of women coexistent with ovarian endometrioma (F = 21.52, P < 0.001) and dermoid cysts (F = 22.01, P < 0.001) compared with women without peritoneal lesions. Higher FOXP3+ Treg cell numbers in pathological lesions corresponded with significantly higher TGF-β (P < 0.001) and lower IL-6 (P = 0.020) levels in peritoneal fluid of women with peritoneal lesions compared with women without lesions.ConclusionsThis study confirms current speculation that endometriosis is related to alteration in Treg cells, causing survival and implantation of ectopic endometrial lesions in women with endometrioma and dermoid cysts. The findings may clarify why only 10% of women in the general population develop endometriosis despite cyclic menstruation with retrograde flow occurring in >90% of women.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

endometriosisendometrioma

MeSH descriptors

Dermoid Cyst Endometriosis Forkhead Transcription Factors Ovarian Neoplasms Peritoneum T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Animals Ascitic Fluid Ascitic Fluid Case-Control Studies Dermoid Cyst Endometriosis Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Female Forkhead Transcription Factors Humans Interleukin-6

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 (37)

Cited by (18)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-08-15T06:15:18.721777+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-13T22:22:54.901233+00:00
unpaywall
last seen: 2026-08-15T06:29:46.044917+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK