Objective: To study the effects of peritoneal macrophages on endometrial cellular proliferation in an in vitro coculture model and to compare the magnitude of these effects between macrophages from women with endometriosis and normal women.
Design: Controlled study of peritoneal macrophage function.
Setting: University hospital.
Patient(s): Patients with a normal peritoneal cavity (n = 15) and with pelvic endometriosis (n = 20) undergoing laparoscopy.
Intervention(s): Peritoneal macrophages were cocultured with endometrial epithelial and stromal cells; endometrial cell cultures without macrophage coculture acted as controls.
Main outcome measure(s): Endometrial cellular proliferation measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation.
Result(s): Endometrial epithelial cells cocultured with peritoneal macrophages from women with endometriosis showed significantly increased proliferation compared with cocultures using macrophages from normal women when assessed at 24 hours (1.56 versus 1.03 times, respectively, over control) and at 72 hours (1.55 versus 1.10 times over control). Endometrial stromal cells cocultured with peritoneal macrophages from women with endometriosis similarly exhibited increased proliferation compared with cocultures using macrophages from normal women when assessed at 24 hours (1.65 versus 1.17 times over control) and at 72 hours (1.65 versus 1.21 times over control).
Conclusion(s): Peritoneal macrophages of patients with endometriosis stimulate cellular proliferation of endometrial epithelial and stromal cells in vitro.