USE OF LIGANDS SPECIFIC TO MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX-CLASS I ANTIGENS FOR DIAGNOSING ENDOMETRIOSIS

It is an object of the present invention to provide the clinicians with a new application for ligands specific to MHC-class I antigens, especially HLA-ABC antigens, this new application residing in the detection and diagnosis of endometriosis. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method and a test kit for diagnosing endometriosis, preferably by immunohistochemistry, using a monoclonal anti-HLA-ABC antibody as a preferred ligand or diagnostic reagent. This new method is non-invasive and is more reliable as a screening test than the conventionally used laparoscopy. When the endometrium of a woman tests negatively with the claimed method, it prevents the use of laparoscopy which is an invasive method for detecting endometriosis. This method can be practised on a specimen obtained from the endometrium of a patient and does not require a specimen sampled directly from the endometriotic foci.