Natural killer cell activity in endometriosis: correlation between serum estradiol levels and cytotoxicity.

Obstetrics and gynecology · 1993 · vol. 81(5 ( Pt 1)) , pp. 665–8 · PMID:8469451 · W205350958
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AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07

Natural killer cell activity significantly decreases with increasing endometriosis stage and is inversely correlated with serum estradiol levels.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation between natural killer cell activity and serum estradiol (E2) levels in patients with different stages of endometriosis. METHODS: Natural killer cell activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes and serum E2 levels were evaluated in 73 women who underwent laparoscopy for pelvic pain, infertility, and benign adnexal masses. RESULTS: The 33 patients (45%) with endometriosis showed a significant decrease in natural killer cell activity in relationship to an increase in disease stage (correlation coefficient r = -0.83, P < .001). A significant inverse relationship was observed between cytotoxicity and serum E2 levels (correlation coefficient r = -0.89, P < .001). CONCLUSION: The relationship between natural killer cell activity and serum E2 levels suggests that an immunoendocrine interaction plays an important role in the progression of endometriosis.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosisinfertility

MeSH descriptors

Cytotoxicity, Immunologic Endometriosis Estradiol Killer Cells, Natural Pelvic Neoplasms Adult Cytotoxicity, Immunologic Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Estradiol Female Humans Killer Cells, Natural Neoplasm Staging Pelvic Neoplasms Pelvic Neoplasms Pelvic Neoplasms

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.

Cited by (50)

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