Elevated heme impairs macrophage phagocytosis in endometriosis

Liu YY, Yu-Yin Liu, Yuyin Liu, Yukai Liu, Liu YK, Yu-Kai Liu, Hu WT, Wenting Hu, Wen-Ting Hu, Tang LL, Ling-Li Tang, Lingli Tang, Yan-Ran Sheng, Yan‐Ran Sheng, Sheng YR, Chun-Yan Wei, Chunyan Wei, Wei CY, Ming‐Qing Li, Ming-Qing Li, Xiao‐Yong Zhu, Xiao-Yong Zhu, Zhu XY
Reproduction (Cambridge, England) · 2019 · vol. 158(3) , pp. 257–266 · doi:10.1530/rep-19-0028 · PMID:31299634 · W2959198677
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This study found that elevated heme levels in peritoneal fluid of endometriosis patients correlate with impaired macrophage phagocytosis, suggesting heme negatively affects this immune cell function.

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Abstract

Endometriosis (EMS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of extrauterine endometrial tissues. It has been previously reported that the refluxed blood containing viable endometrial tissues and the defective elimination of peritoneal macrophages in the pelvic cavity may involve in EMS pathogenesis. However, the mechanism by which macrophages exhibit attenuated phagocytic capability in EMS remains undetermined. Herein, we found that heme, the byproduct of lysed erythrocytes, accumulated abnormally in the peritoneal fluid (PF) of patients with EMS (14.22 μmol/L, 95% confidence interval (CI): 12.54-16.71), compared with the EMS-free group (9.517 μmol/L, 95% CI: 8.891-10.1053). This abnormal accumulation was not associated with the color of PF, phase of the menstrual cycle or severity of the disease. The reduced phagocytic ability of peritoneal macrophages (pMφs) was observed in the EMS group. Consistently, a high-concentration (30 μmol/L) heme treatment impaired EMS-pMφs phagocytosis more than a low-concentration (10 μmol/L) heme treatment. A similar phenomenon was observed in the EMS-free control pMφs (Ctrl-pMφs) and the CD14+ peripheral monocytes (CD14+ Mos). These results indicated that a high heme concentration exhibits a negative effect on macrophage phagocytosis, which supplements the mechanism of impaired scavenger function of pMφs in EMS.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Ascitic Fluid Endometriosis Heme Macrophages Peritoneal Diseases Phagocytosis Adult Ascitic Fluid Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Heme Humans Macrophages Macrophages Middle Aged Peritoneal Diseases Phagocytosis Young Adult

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