[Determination of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 levels of the tubal fluids in patients with infertility caused by infection of Chlamydia trachomatis].
OBJECTIVE
To study the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in tubal fluids of tubal factor infertile (TFI) women due to chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection and its implication.


METHODS
Twenty-two TFI women with CT infection (group A), twenty-three TFI women without CT infection (group B) and nineteen fertile women with normal tubes (group control) were enrolled for study. Levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in tubal fluids were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Group A had significantly higher TNF-alpha levels than those of group control (178 ng/L versus 124 ng/L, P < 0.01). Moreover, women with tubal blocks had significantly higher TNF-alpha those of tubal adhesions (199 ng/L versus 142 ng/L, P < 0.01). IL-6 levels of group A were significantly higher than those of group B and group control (681 ng/L versus 264 ng/L and 229 ng/L, both P < 0.01), but there is no difference between group B and group control.


CONCLUSIONS
Local TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels increased in silent tubal infection of CT. TNF-alpha had a positive relevance with the degree of tubal damage.
Li
H
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dali Medical College, Dali 671000, Yunnan Province, China.
Liang
Z
Z
D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha