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Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology
Published in: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 1/2010

Open Access 01-12-2010 | Research

The frequency of CD25+CD4+ and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in ectopic endometrium and ectopic decidua

Authors: Pawel Basta, Marcin Majka, Wojciech Jozwicki, Ewelina Lukaszewska, Anna Knafel, Marek Grabiec, Elzbieta Stasienko, Lukasz Wicherek

Published in: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology | Issue 1/2010

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Abstract

Background

The presence of regulatory T (Treg) cells in human endometrium is crucial for maintaining immunological homeostasis within the uterus. For this study we decided to evaluate the subpopulations of Treg cells in conditions where a disturbance in the immunological equilibrium in ectopic endometrium and decidua has been observed, such as in cases of ovarian endometriosis (involving local immune cell suppression) and ectopic pregnancy (involving an increase in local immune system activity). We then compared these findings to what we observed in the normal eutopic endometrium of women during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle (with immune cells under individual control).

Methods

The endometrium tissue samples evaluated in our study were obtained from 47 women during one of two kinds of laparoscopic procedures. 16 of the women underwent laparoscopies due to Fallopian tube pregnancies (EP), and 16 due to ovarian endometrioma, while 15 women made up a control group. The presence of regulatory T cells in these tissue samples was evaluated by FACS.

Results

In our study, the percentages of FOXP3+ cells within the subpopulation of CD4+ T lymphocytes found in the decidua of the patients treated for Fallopian tube pregnancies were statistically significantly lower than both those observed in the ovarian endometriosis tissue samples and those found in the secretory eutopic endometrium samples of the control group.

Conclusion

The disturbance in the immunological equilibrium observed in ectopic endometrium and decidua would seem to be related to the alteration in the Treg cell population that occurs in these ectopic tissues.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
The frequency of CD25+CD4+ and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in ectopic endometrium and ectopic decidua
Authors
Pawel Basta
Marcin Majka
Wojciech Jozwicki
Ewelina Lukaszewska
Anna Knafel
Marek Grabiec
Elzbieta Stasienko
Lukasz Wicherek
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology / Issue 1/2010
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7827
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7827-8-116

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