Endometriosis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Comparative Evaluation of Clinical Manifestations and Serological Autoimmune Phenomena

Problem: In view of evidences suggesting association between endometriosis (EM) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we have performed a comparative evaluation of clinical and humoral immunologic abnormalities in both diseases. Method of study: Forty‐five women (18–40 years) with histologically confirmed pelvic EM, 21 healthy‐women and 15 female SLE‐patients (18–40 years) without surgically confirmed EM were prospectively evaluated. Immunologic investigations were performed by blinded researchers. Results: None of the EM‐patients fulfilled criteria for SLE. However, EM‐patients presented higher frequencies of arthralgia (62%) and generalized myalgia (18%) superior than normal‐controls (24%, P = 0.004/0%, P = 0.048) but comparable with SLE‐patients (33%, P = 0.052/27%, P = 0.5). Similarly to SLE (7%), 9% of EM‐patients presented fibromyalgia. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected in 18% of EM‐sera, as compared with healthy‐women (0%, P = 0.014) and SLE‐patients (93%, P = 0.0005). In contrast with SLE, antibodies to dsDNA, Sm and U1RNP were negative in EM‐sera. Anti‐Ro and anticardiolipin antibodies were more often in SLE (40%, 33%) than in EM‐patients (2%, P