AUTOIMMUNITY TO ENDOMETRIUM AND OVARY IN ENDOMETRIOSIS

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 50  (2) , 259-266
Abstract
Antibody titers to whole ovary, theca cells, granulosa cells and endometrium were determined by passive hemagglutination and immunofluorescence assays in sera and in cervical and vaginal secretions from 13 patients with endometriosis. Antibody titers to endometrium (mean log2 .+-. SEM [standard error of the mean] 7.08 .+-. 0.80; P < 0.0001), ovary (3.58 .+-. 0.87; P = 0.0092), theca cells (4.42 .+-. 0.73; P < 0.0001) and granulosa cells (3.33 .+-. 0.63; P = 0.0024) were significantly higher in the patients'' sera than in sera from 15 normal non-pregnant females. Antibody titers to granulosa cells were elevated (7.97 .+-. 1.46; P = 0.0424) in their cervical secretions. Antibody titers to all tissues tested were similar in vaginal secretions of patients and controls. Immunofluorescent antibody assay of biopsied endometrial tissue and sera from the patients revealed the antibodies to be primarily IgG and IgA. Autoantibodies to endometrium and ovary are apparently present in patients with endometriosis.