title: GRO-alpha in human serum: differences related to age and sex.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human GRO-alpha (GRO-alpha) is a new member of the chemokine family that is supposed to play an important role in inflammatory and immune reactions. We established a sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) system with polyclonal antibodies against human GRO-alpha and investigated the serum level of healthy donors to establish normal ranges for this chemokine in adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  GRO-alpha concentrations were measured cross-sectionally in the sera of 240 healthy adults. The variability of serum GRO-alpha levels was also measured in normal volunteers, samples from whom were obtained by sequential venipunctures or by a small plastic cannula with a heparin-saline lock, to determine short-term variability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Whereas there was no difference between the concentration of human GRO-alpha from men (logarithmic mean, 77.6 pg/ml, n = 120) and that from women with normal menstrual cycles (log mean, 71.6 pg/ml, n = 73), the concentration from postmenopausal women (log mean 45.0 pg/ml, n = 31) was lower than that from women with normal menstrual cycles (log mean 71.6 pg/ml, n = 73). However, we could not detect any significant difference between healthy donors' serum levels and those of donors with acute inflammation. Fewer variations were recognized in the case of the sequential venipunctures method than in that of the heparin-saline lock method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that the GRO-alpha concentration of postmenopausal women was significantly lower than that of women with normal menstrual cycles. These results suggest the GRO-alpha serum levels of normal healthy women may have some correlation with sex hormones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osako
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuhara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsurufuji
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyake
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: C475829:CXCL1 protein, human; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D006133:Growth Substances; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins