Roles of regulatory T cells in endometriosis-associated infertility

Azmat Riaz
2014 · W202587455
dissertation OA: green CC0
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-06 ⓘ

This study found that women with endometriosis and infertility have increased lymphocytes and decreased endometrial regulatory T cell proportions before embryo implantation, potentially contributing to an inflammatory environment.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is a gynaecological condition which is characterised by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus. Endometriosis is a leading cause of infertility. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a group of immuno-suppressive lymphocytes. Previous studies suggest disturbed numbers of Tregs in women with endometriosis. The numbers of Tregs may be inadequate in unexplained infertility but their precise roles in endometriosis-associated infertility are yet unclear. This project aimed to investigate the numbers of Tregs in women with endometriosis and associated infertility. In this project, blood and endometrial samples from fertile and infertile women with and without endometriosis were collected. Flow cytometry (n = 50) and immunohistochemistry (n = 88) were performed to analyse immune cell numbers throughout the menstrual cycle. Overall, the numbers of lymphocytes in blood and the endometrium increased in women with endometriosis, infertility and endometriosis-associated infertility compared to controls before the window of implantation. Interestingly, endometrial Treg proportions were also significantly decreased during the proliferative phase in infertile compared to fertile women. Increased survival of lymphocytes before embryo implantation, possibly secondary to altered Treg count in infertile women, may contribute to an inflammatory endometrial environment and to endometriosis and infertility.

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Condition tags

endometriosisinfertility

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