Elevated basophil count is associated with increased odds of endometriosis

Qian Feng; Nina Shigesi; Jun Guan; Nilufer Rahmioglu; Mona Bafadhel; Kevin Paddon; Carol Hubbard; Krina T. Zondervan; Christian M. Becker; Karin Hellner

doi:10.1530/RAF-23-0090

Elevated basophil count is associated with increased odds of endometriosis

Qian Feng, Nina Shigesi, Jun Guan, Nilufer Rahmioglu, Mona Bafadhel, Kevin Paddon, Carol Hubbard, Krina T. Zondervan, Christian M. Becker, Karin Hellner^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Immunological dysregulation plays a fundamental role in the inflammatory aspects of endometriosis. Circulating blood leukocytes, one of the most abundant immune cell populations in the human body, have been shown diagnostic significance in some diseases. Nevertheless, the association between peripheral blood leukocyte counts and endometriosis remains unexplored to date. We analyzed two targeted study cohorts: a tertiary center cohort (Endometriosis at Oxford University (ENDOX) Study: 325 cases/177 controls) and a large-scale population study (UK Biobank (UKBB): 1537 cases/6331 controls). In both datasets, peripheral venous blood sample results were retrieved, and counts of leukocyte subpopulations, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils, were analyzed. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association of leukocyte subtype alterations with endometriosis status, adjusting for confounding factors. We demonstrate that a higher blood basophil level is associated with increased odds of endometriosis. This association was first discovered in the ENDOX cohort (basophils >0.04 × 109/L: OR 1.65 (95% CI: 1.06-2.57), Ptrend = 0.025) and replicated in the UKBB dataset (basophils >0.04 × 109/L: OR 1.26 (95% CI: 1.09-1.45), Ptrend = 0.001). Notably, women with basophil counts in the upper tercile had significantly increased odds of having stage III/IV endometriosis (ENDOX study: OR = 2.30, 95% CI (1.25-4.22), Ptrend = 0.007; UKBB study (OR = 1.40, 95% CI (1.07-1.85), Ptrend = 0.015). None of the other leukocyte subtypes showed an association. Our findings suggest an association between inflammatory responses and the pathogenesis of endometriosis; future studies are warranted to investigate whether the association is causal.

Original language	English
Article number	e230090
Journal	Reproduction and Fertility
Volume	5
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1530/RAF-23-0090
Publication status	Published - 2024

Keywords

basophils
case-control study
endometriosis
epidemiology
leukocytes

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10.1530/RAF-23-0090

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title = "Elevated basophil count is associated with increased odds of endometriosis",

abstract = "Immunological dysregulation plays a fundamental role in the inflammatory aspects of endometriosis. Circulating blood leukocytes, one of the most abundant immune cell populations in the human body, have been shown diagnostic significance in some diseases. Nevertheless, the association between peripheral blood leukocyte counts and endometriosis remains unexplored to date. We analyzed two targeted study cohorts: a tertiary center cohort (Endometriosis at Oxford University (ENDOX) Study: 325 cases/177 controls) and a large-scale population study (UK Biobank (UKBB): 1537 cases/6331 controls). In both datasets, peripheral venous blood sample results were retrieved, and counts of leukocyte subpopulations, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils, were analyzed. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association of leukocyte subtype alterations with endometriosis status, adjusting for confounding factors. We demonstrate that a higher blood basophil level is associated with increased odds of endometriosis. This association was first discovered in the ENDOX cohort (basophils >0.04 × 109/L: OR 1.65 (95% CI: 1.06-2.57), Ptrend = 0.025) and replicated in the UKBB dataset (basophils >0.04 × 109/L: OR 1.26 (95% CI: 1.09-1.45), Ptrend = 0.001). Notably, women with basophil counts in the upper tercile had significantly increased odds of having stage III/IV endometriosis (ENDOX study: OR = 2.30, 95% CI (1.25-4.22), Ptrend = 0.007; UKBB study (OR = 1.40, 95% CI (1.07-1.85), Ptrend = 0.015). None of the other leukocyte subtypes showed an association. Our findings suggest an association between inflammatory responses and the pathogenesis of endometriosis; future studies are warranted to investigate whether the association is causal.",

keywords = "basophils, case-control study, endometriosis, epidemiology, leukocytes",

author = "Qian Feng and Nina Shigesi and Jun Guan and Nilufer Rahmioglu and Mona Bafadhel and Kevin Paddon and Carol Hubbard and Zondervan, {Krina T.} and Becker, {Christian M.} and Karin Hellner",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 the author(s).",

year = "2024",

doi = "10.1530/RAF-23-0090",

language = "English",

volume = "5",

journal = "Reproduction and Fertility",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Elevated basophil count is associated with increased odds of endometriosis

AU - Feng, Qian

AU - Shigesi, Nina

AU - Guan, Jun

AU - Rahmioglu, Nilufer

AU - Bafadhel, Mona

AU - Paddon, Kevin

AU - Hubbard, Carol

AU - Zondervan, Krina T.

AU - Becker, Christian M.

AU - Hellner, Karin

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Immunological dysregulation plays a fundamental role in the inflammatory aspects of endometriosis. Circulating blood leukocytes, one of the most abundant immune cell populations in the human body, have been shown diagnostic significance in some diseases. Nevertheless, the association between peripheral blood leukocyte counts and endometriosis remains unexplored to date. We analyzed two targeted study cohorts: a tertiary center cohort (Endometriosis at Oxford University (ENDOX) Study: 325 cases/177 controls) and a large-scale population study (UK Biobank (UKBB): 1537 cases/6331 controls). In both datasets, peripheral venous blood sample results were retrieved, and counts of leukocyte subpopulations, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils, were analyzed. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association of leukocyte subtype alterations with endometriosis status, adjusting for confounding factors. We demonstrate that a higher blood basophil level is associated with increased odds of endometriosis. This association was first discovered in the ENDOX cohort (basophils >0.04 × 109/L: OR 1.65 (95% CI: 1.06-2.57), Ptrend = 0.025) and replicated in the UKBB dataset (basophils >0.04 × 109/L: OR 1.26 (95% CI: 1.09-1.45), Ptrend = 0.001). Notably, women with basophil counts in the upper tercile had significantly increased odds of having stage III/IV endometriosis (ENDOX study: OR = 2.30, 95% CI (1.25-4.22), Ptrend = 0.007; UKBB study (OR = 1.40, 95% CI (1.07-1.85), Ptrend = 0.015). None of the other leukocyte subtypes showed an association. Our findings suggest an association between inflammatory responses and the pathogenesis of endometriosis; future studies are warranted to investigate whether the association is causal.

AB - Immunological dysregulation plays a fundamental role in the inflammatory aspects of endometriosis. Circulating blood leukocytes, one of the most abundant immune cell populations in the human body, have been shown diagnostic significance in some diseases. Nevertheless, the association between peripheral blood leukocyte counts and endometriosis remains unexplored to date. We analyzed two targeted study cohorts: a tertiary center cohort (Endometriosis at Oxford University (ENDOX) Study: 325 cases/177 controls) and a large-scale population study (UK Biobank (UKBB): 1537 cases/6331 controls). In both datasets, peripheral venous blood sample results were retrieved, and counts of leukocyte subpopulations, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils, were analyzed. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association of leukocyte subtype alterations with endometriosis status, adjusting for confounding factors. We demonstrate that a higher blood basophil level is associated with increased odds of endometriosis. This association was first discovered in the ENDOX cohort (basophils >0.04 × 109/L: OR 1.65 (95% CI: 1.06-2.57), Ptrend = 0.025) and replicated in the UKBB dataset (basophils >0.04 × 109/L: OR 1.26 (95% CI: 1.09-1.45), Ptrend = 0.001). Notably, women with basophil counts in the upper tercile had significantly increased odds of having stage III/IV endometriosis (ENDOX study: OR = 2.30, 95% CI (1.25-4.22), Ptrend = 0.007; UKBB study (OR = 1.40, 95% CI (1.07-1.85), Ptrend = 0.015). None of the other leukocyte subtypes showed an association. Our findings suggest an association between inflammatory responses and the pathogenesis of endometriosis; future studies are warranted to investigate whether the association is causal.

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KW - case-control study

KW - endometriosis

KW - epidemiology

KW - leukocytes

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U2 - 10.1530/RAF-23-0090

DO - 10.1530/RAF-23-0090

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85208374432

SN - 2633-8386

VL - 5

JO - Reproduction and Fertility

JF - Reproduction and Fertility

IS - 3

M1 - e230090

ER -

Elevated basophil count is associated with increased odds of endometriosis

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