Abstract:
This article presents an overview of immunological factors and their role in the development of
endometriosis, with emphasis on inflammatory cytokines, growth and adhesion factors. Although
retrograde menstruation is a common phenomenon among women of reproductive age, not all
women who have retrograde menstruation develop endometriosis. The development of
endometriosis is hypothesised to be a complex process, which may be facilitated by several factors,
including the quantity and quality of endometrial cells in peritoneal fluid (PF), increased
inflammatory activity in PF, increased endometrial-peritoneal adhesion and angiogenesis, reduced
immune surveillance and clearance of endometrial cells, and increased production of
autoantibodies against endometrial cells. Potential biomarkers like cytokines and autoantibodies
upregulated during development of endometriosis may be useful in the development of a nonsurgical
diagnostic tool. Although endometriosis can be treated using hormonal suppression, there
is need for non-hormonal drugs, which can inhibit the development of endometriosis and alleviate
pain or infertility without inhibition of ovulation. New molecules that modulate immune function
in endometriosis should be the targets for future research.
