The autoimmune basis of the development of endometriosis

Abstract

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disorder that affects 2-10% of women of childbearing age. Despite many years of research, the pathogenesis of endometriosis is not fully understood, and the treatment of endometriosis is associated with numerous controversies. Endometriosis runs in families and is associated with other diseases. In the group of patients suffering from endometriosis, there is a significantly increased incidence of autoimmune diseases and celiac disease, which is often only mildly symptomatic or only genetically prone to it. The coexistence and sometimes multiple increased risk of endometriosis has been proven in patients with systemic lupus, Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, Addison's disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. Although there is no convincing data on a possible causal mechanism linking these pathologies with endometriosis or on a common cause underlying these disorders, it is postulated that immune dysregulation is associated with the formation of an immune niche that allows the formation and progression of lesions typical of endometriosis. When diagnosing and treating patients with endometriosis, one should not forget about the spectrum of comorbidities, some of which are serious diseases leading to numerous complications.