TRANSFERRIN RECEPTOR (CD71) EXPRESSION IN PERITONEAL-MACROPHAGES FROMFERTILE AND INFERTILE WOMEN WITH AND WITHOUT ENDOMETRIOSIS

PROBLEM: Hyperactivated macrophages are implicated in the pathophysiol ogy of endometriosis-associated infertility. This study investigates t ransferrin receptor expression (CD71) as a marker of hyperactivity in peritoneal macrophages of infertile patients with minimal to mild endo metriosis (group 1, n = 25). METHOD OF STUDY: Expression of the activa tion antigen CD71 on peritoneal fluid macrophages was determined by a specific monoclonal anti-CD71 antibody using indirect immunofluorescen ce technique and was analyzed by flow cytometry. Three different contr ol groups of women were used: women with unexplained infertility (grou p 2, n = 25), fertile women with endometriosis (group 3, n = 10), and fertile women without endometriosis (group 4, n = 25). RESULTS: The pe rcentage of CD71 positive cells was significantly increased in inferti le women with endometriosis as compared with the three control groups. There were no differences among groups 2, 3, and 4 with respect to th e percentage of CD71 positive macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: Our results fa vor the concept that hyperactivated macrophages play a role in the pat hophysiology of endometriosis-associated subfertility, a feature which is lacking in patients with unexplained infertility.