The role of the B lymphocytes in endometriosis: A systematic review

B Cells Implicated in Endometriosis

Key Points

Highlights:

• Insight into the role of an inflammatory response in endometriosis has sparked further study into the role of different immune cells and their causal relationship to the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Key Results:

The following results have been found in one or more of the studies included in this review summary paper:

• The overexpression of anti-apoptotic factors and decreased expression of pro-apoptotic factors may contribute to endometriosis pathogenesis.
• Reduced activity of cytotoxic T cells and NK cells, secretion of cytokines by T helper cells, and autoantibody production by B lymphocytes have been implicated in endometriosis.
• B cells in women with endometriosis have similar characteristics to those seen in other autoimmune diseases, i.e., the production of autoantibodies.
• Endometriosis has been associated with either an increased number and/or activation of B cells.

What’s done here?

• This review article summarizes several studies that observed either a direct or indirect role of B cells in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Limitations: 

• Further studies are needed to elucidate the specific role of B cells in the initiation and progression of endometriosis so that future targeted therapies can be developed.
• Heterogeneity in the type of analytic tool and markers used to assess B cell presence/characteristics make it difficult to group studies together.

Lay Summary

Insight into the role of an inflammatory response in endometriosis has sparked further study into the role of different immune cells and their causal relationship to the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Several recent studies have found an association between aberrant immune response to the presence of endometriosis. This immune-mediated disturbance is thought to aid in the undeterred implantation and proliferation of ectopic endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity.

B cells are cells of the immune system that are activated normally to aid in the detection and destruction of pathogens primarily by the secretion of antibodies. Polyclonal activation of B cells that secrete anti-endometrial autoantibodies (antibodies to self) have been observed in women with endometriosis. Out of the 22 studies that were included in this review, most found either an increased number and/or activation of B cells in women with endometriosis.  Furthermore, this review paper summarizes findings from the research studies included in the analysis.

Research Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28910679