LYMPHOKINE-ACTIVATED KILLER ACTIVITY IN WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether women with end ometriosis displayed a decreased lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) act ivity. In 15 women with and 7 women without endometriosis the cytotoxi city against four different tumor cell lines - K562, the endometrium c arcinomas AN3CA and RL95, the natural-killer (NK)-resistant Daudi cell line - was investigated, using either freshly isolated peripheral blo od mononuclear cells (PBMC) or recombinant interleukin (IL)-2-stimulat ed PBMC. In 5 additional women collagenase-DNase-digested endometrium was used, to investigate whether recombinant IL-2-activated lymphocyte s displayed an increased cytotoxicity against fresh and cultured endom etrial cells. The cytotoxicity of unstimulated PBMC toward K562, AN3CA and RL95 target cells was decreased in women with endometriosis compa red to women without endometriosis (p < 0.05, for all). After recombin ant IL-2 stimulation the cytotoxicity toward the four different target cells increased significantly, both in women with and without endomet riosis. There was no difference in LAK-mediated cytotoxicity against t he four tumoral cells between women with and without endometriosis. Si gnificant LAK activity was demonstrated against both fresh and culture d (72 h) endometrial cells. The cytotoxicity of autologous lymphocytes against cultured endometrial cells was 31.0 +/- 17 versus 67.4 +/- 5. 8 %, using lymphocytes cultured in medium without and with recombinant IL-2, respectively (paired t test, p < 0.02). These results demonstra ted that the decreased NK activity in peripheral blood of women with e ndometriosis was corrected after In vitro recombinant IL-2 stimulation of lymphocytes. Furthermore, this study showed that cytotoxicity towa rd fresh and cultured endometrial cells increased after in vitro incub ation of PBMC with recombinant IL-2.