Evaluation of NKT cells in patients with endometriosis

• Grant number: 12/05425-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2012
• End date: August 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Maurício Simões Abrão
• Grantee: Maurício Simões Abrão
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Esper Georges Kallás

Abstract

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial tissue out of uterus, and may be present in the pelvis in the ovary, peritoneum, intestine, ureter, and bladder. It is a common gynecological disease, occurring in 10-15% of women in the reproductive phase. The main symptoms include pelvic pain and infertility. The etiopathology mechanism of endometriosis is still largely unknown and their behavior varied. The standard "gold" for the diagnosis of endometriosis is surgical intervention, laparoscopy, which makes possible the visualization of lesions suggestive of the disease. Extensive investigations have explored the involvement of genetics, environmental factors and the immune system in the predisposition of women to develop endometriosis. The lack of a immunosurveillance the peritoneum is considered as a causative factor in this disease. Disturbances in immune homeostasis may facilitate the deployment, proliferation and angiogenesis of endometrial tissue. A large number of studies have identified the involvement of various Th1 and Th2 cytokines (interleukins, INF, TNF-±), enzymes (matrix-metalloproteinase-MMP) and growth factors (TGF-²) in the development of endometriosis. In recent years, the study of natural killer T cells (NKT) capable of producing both Th1 and Th2 cytokines and evidence of abnormalities in these cells correlated with certain autoimmune diseases have increased the interest on their functions. There is no study in the literature to assess the correlation of NKT cells and endometriosis. The objective of this study is to investigate the possible role of NKT cells in the development of endometriosis. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FREDERICO J.S. CORREA; MARINA PAULA ANDRES; TAINÁ PEZZIN ROCHA; ANA EDUARDA Z. CARVALHO; THIAGO P.A. ALOIA; MARCUS V.N. CORPA; ESPER G. KALLAS; CRISTÓVÃO L.P. MANGUEIRA; EDMUND C. BARACAT; KARINA I. CARVALHO; et al. Invariant Natural Killer T-cells and their subtypes may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Clinics, v. 77, 2022-06-06. (12/05425-7)