Autoantibodies to markers of oxidative stress are elevated in women with endometriosis

Objective: To measure autoantibodies that recognize oxidatively modified pr oteins in the sera of women with surgically proven endometriosis. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Tertiary care academic medical center. Patient(s): Women undergoing surgery for endometriosis or tubal ligation. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum and peritoneal fluid autoantibody titers to malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein, oxidized low-density lipo protein, and lipid peroxide-modified rabbit serum albumin determined by ELI SA. Correlation of autoantibody titers with revised American Fertility Soci ety staging classification, symptoms, and morphologic type of endometriosis . Result(s): Mean (+/-SEM) serum autoantibody titers tin optical density unit s) to the three antigens were as follows: [1] lipid peroxide-modified rabbi t serum albumin, 0.49 +/- 0.12 units in the patients with endometriosis and 0.2 +/- 0.02 units in the controls; [2] oxidized low-density lipoprotein, 0.22 +/- 0.005 units in the patients with endometriosis and 0.18 +/- 0.006 units in the controls; and [3] malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipopro tein, 0.21 +/- 0.005 units in the patients with endometriosis and 0.16 +/- 0.003 units in the controls. There was no correlation between autoantibody titers and revised American Fertility Society stage, symptoms, or morpholog ic type of endometriosis. Peritoneal fluid did not contain autoantibodies t o any of the three antigens. Conclusion(s): Autoantibodies to markers of oxidative stress were significa ntly increased in women with endometriosis. These findings strongly support our data demonstrating that women with endometriosis have enhanced oxidati ve stress. (Fertil Steril(R) 1999;71:1115-8. (C) 1999 by American Society f or Reproductive Medicine.).