DECREASED AMOUNTS OF ANTIBODIES TO 22 AND 18 KDA ANTIGENS IN THE PERITONEAL-FLUID OF PATIENTS WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS

Accumulated evidence implicates immunological alterations in endometri osis. The purpose of this study was to look for variations in antibodi es to distinct antigens in peritoneal fluid of women with acid without endometriosis. Peritoneal fluid was aspirated from 17 women undergoin g laparoscopy for tubal ligation and 37 patients complaining of sympto ms of pain and/or infertility, Peritoneal fluid antibodies to a standa rd preparation of peritoneal fluid antigens were detected by Western b lot analysis using peroxidase-labelled anti-human immunoglobulin G ant ibodies specific to the Fc region, Antibodies to distinct antigens wer e quantified by estimating the ratio of the relative optical density b etween samples and a standard amount of antibodies, Marked changes wer e found in the antibody detection to two antigens having apparent mole cular weights of 22 and 18 kDa, The intensity of the antibody signal w as significantly weaker in the peritoneal fluid from endometriosis pat ients (0.36 +/- 0.06 and 0.46 +/- 0.06) compared with that in women wi thout endometriosis (0.62 +/- 0.08 and 0.75 +/- 0.06), It was also wea ker in patients without endometriosis presenting with infertility (0.3 6 +/- 0.07 and 0.47 +/- 0.08), but only the 18 kDa antigen result was significant, After adjusting for infertility, the P values for the 18 and 22 kDa bands were 0.03 and 0.28 (not significant) respectively in the group of endometriosis patients. These changes were not related to the phase of the menstrual cycle, These data suggest an alteration in the immune response to two distinct antigens in the peritoneal fluid from women with endometriosis and infertility. Further evaluation of t hese two antigens and their antibodies would be of interest to help un derstand endometriosis and its associated infertility.