DETECTION OF ANTIENDOMETRIAL ANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS BY CELL ELISA

PROBLEM: To determine whether infertile patients with endometriosis ha ve serum antiendometrial antibodies. METHODS: Sera from 40 infertile p atients with or without endometriosis were tested by cell enzyme-linke d immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in which endometrial cancer cells were used as endometrial antigens, and uterine cervix cancer cells as contr ol antigens. As a negative control, eight healthy adult males were inc luded. The level greater than the mean +/- 2 standard deviations (SD) of the male control group was judged positive. RESULTS: The mean value of antiendometrial antibody level was significantly higher in patient s with endometriosis than in those without endometriosis (ANOVA, P < 0 .01). The frequency of antiendometrial antibody-positive patients was also higher in the former than in the latter (chi(2) test, P < 0.05). However, when uterine cervix cancer cells were used as antigens, no di fference was observed in the mean antibody levels or in the positive r ates between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Endometriosis seems to be as sociated with autoantibody production against the endometrium-related antigen(s).