Study on the distribution of lymphocyte subsets in the eutopic and ectopic endometrium of women with endometriosis / 中华妇产科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective　To investigate the abnormal distribution of lymphocytes in eutopic and ectopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis and its significance. Methods　In 43 cases, biopsies of ectopic tissues were taken by laparoscopy and laparotomy from patients with endometriosis and eutopic endometrium by curettage at the same time. In 19 cases, eutopic endometrium was taken from hysterectomy for myomatous uterus. Immunohistochemical techniques were employed to demonstrate the difference in the number and ratio of the lymphocyte subsets between the patients with endometriosis and the controls. Results　In the patients with endometriosis, in the proliferative phase, ectopic endometrium contained respectively CD+3、CD+8T cells and CD+68 macrophages (67.2±13.5)/5HP, (45.0±14.0)/5 HP and (37.2±10.6)/5 HP, significanly higher then that in the eutopic endometriun (52.4±11.3)/5HP (P<0.01), (32.5±10.0)/5HP (P<0.05)， and (30.7±10.3)/5HP， and also higher as compared with the control group (52.1±14.9)/5HP (P<0.05)， (28.9±12.7)/5HP (P<0.01), (26.3±9.3)/5HP (P<0.05); in the secretory phade, CD+8/CD+4, and CD+68 content was respectively 3.5±1.2，(40.3±12.2)/5HP, higher than that in the control group, 3.2±0.8 (P<0.05), (28.6±10.6)/5HP (P<0.01). The number of macrophages was also significantly increased. No cyclic changes in the number of lymphocytes in each subpopulation in ectopic endometrium were found. Conclusions　In the patients with endometriosis, the changes in T lymphocytes and macrophages are mainly on the endometriotic sites. The infiltration of many lymphocytes and macrophages into the ectopic endometrium formed a chronic inflammatory process. The lymphocytes are not able to clear the ectopic endometrium in the late stages of endometrium，on the contrary, they stimulate the further growth of the endometrium.