Autoimmunity and Ovarian Function Disorders
Summary
Autoimmune processes can target the ovary, disrupting follicular development, steroidogenesis and ovarian reserve. In many women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), immune‐mediated damage to granulosa cells and theca cells leads to follicle loss and early ovarian failure. A spectrum of autoantibodies – directed against steroidogenic enzymes, gonadotropin receptors or ovarian antigens – has been described, often in association with polyglandular autoimmune syndromes affecting thyroid, adrenal or other endocrine glands. At the cellular level, an imbalance between proinflammatory T helper 1 cells and regulatory T cells, together with altered cytokine networks and oxidative stress, contributes to ovarian tissue injury. Understanding these mechanisms has practical importance for early diagnosis, immunomodulatory interventions and fertility preservation in affected women worldwide.
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Autoimmunity and Ovarian Function Disorders publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in autoimmunity and ovarian function disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Autoimmunity: A process in which the immune system erroneously recognises self‐tissues as foreign and mounts an inflammatory response.
Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI): Loss of ovarian function before the age of 40, characterised by hypoestrogenism, elevated gonadotropins and reduced fertility.
Granulosa cells: Somatic cells surrounding the oocyte within the follicle, essential for steroid hormone synthesis and follicle maturation.
Autoantibody: An antibody directed against a native cellular or tissue antigen, implicated in autoimmune ovarian damage.
Single‐cell transcriptomics: A high‐resolution method to profile gene expression in individual cells, enabling characterisation of cell‐type–specific immune signatures.
References
- Immune and oxidative stress disorder in ovulation-dysfunction women revealed by single-cell transcriptome. Frontiers in Immunology (2023).
- Autoimmune Disease is Increased in Women With Primary Ovarian Insufficiency. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2024).
- Diagnostic Value of Autoantibodies against Steroidogenic Enzymes and Hormones in Infertile Women with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
- Autoimmune Diseases in Patients with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency—Our Current State of Knowledge. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2021).
- Treg deficiency‐mediated TH1 response causes human premature ovarian insufficiency through apoptosis and steroidogenesis dysfunction of granulosa cells. Clinical and Translational Medicine (2021).
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