Mast
cells may contribute to the development of pain and
hyperalgesia in endometriosis
The presence of increased
activated and degranulating mast cells in deeply infiltrating
endometriosis, which are the most painful lesions, and
the close histological relationship between mast cells
and nerves strongly suggest that mast cells could contribute
to the development of pain and hyperalgesia in endometriosis,
possibly by a direct effect on nerve structures.
Researchers set out to detect and quantify mast cells
in peritoneal, ovarian, and deep infiltrating endometriosis
and to study the relationship between mast cells and
nerves in endometriosis.
Excision of endometriosis from different anatomical
locations was undertaken in 69 women, who were undergoing
laparoscopic excision of endometriosis for pain. Thirty-seven
biopsies of normal tissue were obtained from women without
endometriosis.
The women with deeply infiltrating lesions had significantly
higher preoperative pain scores than women with peritoneal
or ovarian endometriosis. Mast cells and degranulating
mast cells are significantly more abundant in endometriotic
lesions than in non-affected tissues. Deep infiltrating
lesions show a significantly higher number of mast cells,
activated mast cells, and mast cells located <25
mum from nerves than peritoneal and ovarian lesions.
The authors found significantly more degranulating mast
cells in deep infiltrating lesions than in peritoneal
lesions.
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