This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (3) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Bohler, H. C. Articles by Taylor, D. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bohler, H. C. Articles by Gercel-Taylor, C. Articles by Lessey, B. A. Articles by Taylor, D. D. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Endometriosis Markers: Immunologic Alterations as Diagnostic Indicators for Endometriosis

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky

Cicek Gercel-Taylor, PhD

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky

Bruce A. Lessey, PhD, MD

Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Greenville Hospital Systems, Greenville, South Carolina

Douglas D. Taylor, PhD

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, ddtaylor{at}louisville.edu

Because endometriosis, a chronic disease affecting 7% to 10% of women, is associated with immunologic aberrations, the authors hypothesize that the presence of specific immune alterations may be diagnostic. Autoantibodies were assayed by Western immunoblotting using antigens derived from the plasma membrane, cytosol, and nucleus from endometrial and ovarian cells. Natural killer (NK) activity was defined by levels of signaling protein zeta and induction of interferon (IFN)- following exposure to patients' sera. Patients with endometriosis exhibited autoantibodies reactive with cellular proteins; endometrial membrane proteins exhibited the greatest reactivity, followed by nuclear antigens. In all subcellular fractions, patients with stage 3 endometriosis exhibited significantly more immunoreactivity than did stage 2 patients, which was greater than that observed in stage 1 patients. The stage-associated increased reactivity resulted from both recognition of additional proteins and enhanced reactivity with shared proteins. Patient sera suppressed NK zeta expression, which resulted in suppression of NK IFN induction. Alterations in autoreactivity and NK activity are observed in endometriosis and may be useful as diagnostic markers, even in early stage disease.

Key Words: Endometriosis ,autoantibodies • diagnosis.

Reproductive Sciences, Vol. 14, No. 6, 595-604 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1933719107307910


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Ametzazurra, R. Matorras, J.A. Garcia-Velasco, B. Prieto, L. Simon, A. Martinez, and D. Nagore Endometrial fluid is a specific and non-invasive biological sample for protein biomarker identification in endometriosis Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2009; 24(4): 954 - 965. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]