Local Epidermal Growth Factor Production in Women with Endometriosis.

The aim of the study was to elucidate the role of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in pathogenesis of endometriosis at different stages of disease. The level of EGF in peritoneal fluid (PF) of fertile and infertile women with endometriosis and in pooled supernatants of 24-h cultures of peritoneal macrophages was assessed by ELISA method. It was found that in fertile women with early stages of disease EGF level in PF did not differ from that in control group, but at the advanced stages of endometriosis the significant elevation of EGF concentration in PF was observed.

A Study of Peritoneal Immunocompetent Cells in External Genital Endometriosis.

The aim of the present investigation was to study the peculiarities of peritoneal lymphoid cell activation at the local level during external endometriosis and the possible role of secretory products of peritoneal macrophages in this process. Immunocompetent cells of peritoneal fluid from 16 women with endometriosis and 14 healthy women were studied by two-color flow cytometry method. It was found that endometriosis was associated with high level of expression of CD25 and HLA DR molecules and diminishment of Fas expression by CD3(+) subset of peritoneal lymphocytes.