Comparison of cytokine levels and embryo toxicity in peritoneal fluid in infertile women with untreated or treated endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to examine the relationship between the levels of cytokines in peritoneal fluid and its embryo toxicity.


METHODS
The levels of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor were measured in peritoneal fluid from infertile women who did not have endometriosis (n = 21), who had untreated endometriosis (n = 19), and who had undergone medical treatment for endometriosis (n = 10). Embryo toxicity was investigated in mouse two-cell embryos cocultured with the oviducts in culture media that contained various concentrations of peritoneal fluid.


RESULTS
The levels of cytokines were significantly higher in the peritoneal fluid from women who had untreated endometriosis than in women who did not have endometriosis, but they were extremely low in women who had undergone medical treatment with either danazol or buserelin. The peritoneal fluid from women who had untreated endometriosis adversely affected the cleavage of mouse two-cell embryos. After medical treatment the embryo toxicity of the peritoneal fluid was almost undetectable.


CONCLUSIONS
These results offer some theoretic bases in support of medical treatment to improve reproductive performance in infertile women who have endometriosis.
Taketani
Y
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Kuo
T M
TM
Mizuno
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D002064:Buserelin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D046508:Culture Techniques; D003613:Danazol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003613:Danazol; D002064:Buserelin