FLOW-CYTOMETRY ANALYSIS OF LYMPHOCYTE SUBPOPULATIONS IN PERITONEAL-FLUID OF WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS

PROBLEM: We investigated the lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral b lood (PB) and peritoneal fluid (PF) of women with and without endometr iosis to evaluate if the decreased natural killer (NK)-mediated cytoto xicity in women with endometriosis was due to a quantitative defect or not. METHOD: The PB and PF mononuclear cells of 59 women undergoing a diagnostic laparoscopy for pain and/or infertility were analyzed by f low cytometry. RESULTS: The number and concentration of PF mononuclear cells (MC) was increased in women with endometriosis compared to wome n without endometriosis. The monocyte/macrophage marker (CD14) was exp ressed on 70.3 and 66.9% of PFMC of women with and without endometrios is, respectively. The CD4/CD8 ratio was inverted in the PF, and this w as more pronounced in women with endometriosis. In the PF of women wit h endometriosis, 41.3% of the lymphocytes were CD8 positive, compared to 34.3% in women without endometriosis. The percentage of NK positive lymphocytes in PE using three different monoclonal antibodies directe d against NK cell markers (CD57, CD16, and CD56) were not different be tween women with and without endometriosis. In women with endometriosi s, 12.7, 9.5, and 28.8% of lymphocytes were CD57, CD16, and CD56 posit ive, respectively. CONCLUSION: PFMC consisted mainly of phagocytic and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)restricted or HLA unrestricted cytotoxic cells capable of reacting to various antigens entering the cavity fro m the lower genital tractus. Furthermore, the decreased NK activity re ported in PB and PF of women with endometriosis was not likely to be c aused by a quantitative defect, since the percentage of NK positive ly mphocytes was not different between women with and without endometrios is.