Endometriosis Knowledgebase


A repository for genes associated with endometriosis

Results


PMID 17234676
Gene Name IL4
Condition Endometriosis
Association Associated
Population size 98
Population details 98 with and without endometriosis
Sex Female
Associated genes IFN-gamma, IL-10, IL-4, IL-2
Other associated phenotypes Endometriosis
Endometriosis: an inflammatory disease with a Th2 immune response component.

Hum Reprod. 2007 May;22(5):1373-9. Epub 2007 Jan 18.

Podgaec, S| Abrao, M S| Dias, J A Jr| Rizzo, L V| de Oliveira, R M| Baracat, E C

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Teaching Hospital, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. spodgaec@uol.com.br

BACKGROUND: Efforts have been made to correctly characterize the role of the immune response in endometriosis. The objective of this study was to analyse the interaction between Th1 and Th2 immune response patterns and endometriosis by evaluating a panel of cytokines. METHODS: Between January 2004 and November 2005, 98 patients, classified into two groups according to the histologically confirmed presence (Group A) or absence of endometriosis (Group B), were evaluated. Interleukins (IL) 2, 4 and 10, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were measured by flow cytometry in the peripheral blood and peritoneal fluid of all patients. RESULTS: IFN-gamma and IL-10 levels were significantly higher in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis compared to those without endometriosis (P < 0.05). There was a significant alteration in the IL-4/IFN-gamma (P < 0.001), IL-4/IL-2 (P = 0.006), IL-10/IFN-gamma (P < 0.001) and the IL-10/IL-2 ratios (P < 0.001) in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis, with a predominance of IL-4 and IL-10, reflecting a shift towards Th2 immune response despite the increase in IFN-gamma concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease involving a possible shift towards Th2 immune response component, as demonstrated by the relative increase in cytokines characteristic of this pattern of immune response.

Mesh Terms: Adolescent| Adult| Ascitic Fluid/chemistry| Endometriosis/*immunology| Female| Humans| Interferon-gamma/analysis| Interleukin-10/analysis| Interleukin-2/analysis| Interleukin-4/analysis| Th1 Cells/immunology| Th2 Cells/*immunology| Tumor Necro