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Pelvic endometriosis and natural killer cell immunity
Author(s) -
Fukui Atsushi,
Mai Chuxian,
Saeki Shinichiro,
Yamamoto Mayu,
Takeyama Ryu,
Kato Toru,
Ukita Yuji,
Wakimoto Yu,
Yamaya Ayano,
Shibahara Hiroaki
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/aji.13342
Subject(s) - endometriosis , immunology , infertility , natural killer cell , peritoneal fluid , receptor , medicine , biology , pregnancy , in vitro , cytotoxic t cell , biochemistry , genetics
Endometriosis is a chronic disease that commonly affects women in their reproductive age. It has been reported that the infertility due to endometriosis is largely caused by pelvic adhesion, oocyte damage, and so on. There are several causes of endometriosis including bacterial infections, immunological abnormalities, epigenetics, and aberrant DNA methylation. The natural killer (NK) cells present in the peritoneal fluid express CD16 and CD56. They also express NK cell inhibitory receptors and activating receptors and usually work to eliminate endometrial cells in the retrograde menstruation. However, in women with endometriosis, the changes in these receptors and production of cytokines by NK cells cause the onset and progression of endometriosis. In this review, we have focused on the role of NK cells in pelvic endometriosis and presented the immunological abnormalities in endometriosis including the possibility of future treatment.