Immune Checkpoints in Endometriosis—A New Insight in the Pathogenesis

Dorota Suszczyk, Wiktoria Skiba, Anna Pawłowska, Izabela Dymanowska-Dyjak, Karolina Włodarczyk, Roman Paduch, Iwona Wertel
International journal of molecular sciences · 2024 · vol. 25(11) , pp. 6266 · doi:10.3390/ijms25116266 · PMID:38892453 · W4399388328
article OA: gold CC0 ⤵ 8 in-corpus citations
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This review explores the association between immune checkpoints and their potential roles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, including altered effector cell activity and antigen presentation.

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Abstract

Endometriosis (EMS) is an oestrogen-dependent, chronic disease affecting women of a reproductive age. One of the important factors involved in the development of this disease is the complex disorders associated with the functioning of the immune system. Recent evidence has shown that EMS development is associated with changes in systemic and local immunity, including functional disturbances of effector and antigen-presenting cells. One of the reasons for immune imbalance can be the improper expression of immune checkpoints (ICPs). ICPs and their ligands are responsible for maintaining self-tolerance and the modulation of the initiation, duration, and magnitude of the immune response of effector cells in normal tissues to avoid tissue damage. Considering the complex nature of co-stimulatory or co-inhibitory ICPs and the signalling between effector cells and APCs, we hypothesise that changes in cells' activity caused by ICPs may lead to serious immune system disturbances in patients with endometriosis. Moreover, both upregulation and downregulation in the expression of ICPs may be implicated in this process, including the reduced activity of effector cells against endometrial implants and disturbances in the antigen-presenting process. In this narrative review, we discuss, for the first time, key findings from the emerging literature, describing the associations between ICPs and their possible implication in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Animals Animals Animals Animals Animals Animals Animals Animals Female

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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.

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