The role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of endometriosis

Abstract

The review presents a critical analysis of data on the role of immune factors in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. The research results accumulated by now convincingly demonstrate that an abnormal subclinical inflammatory response and disorders in the immune control system play a significant role in the onset, progression and persistence of endometriosis. In spite of the fact that many studies are concentrates on particular components of immune disorders in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, there is still no overall picture summarizing these data. Further research is needed to find immunological parameters that can be used as markers for clinical use in non-invasive diagnosis of this disease. The search for specific immune markers that could be used for target immunotherapy of endometriosis also remains relevant.

Keywords

• endometriosis
• cellular immunity
• humoral immunity
• autoimmunity
• autoantibodies
• cytokines
• interleukins