title: Serum and follicular fluid cytokines in polycystic ovary syndrome during stimulated cycles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the serum and intrafollicular tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 concentrations in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients with PCOS undergoing IVF were studied. Thirty-nine normally ovulating women matched for age and body mass index and undergoing IVF for male infertility were the control group. Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and estradiol levels were assayed before recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone stimulation under gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue suppression and 34-36 hours after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration at the time of the oocyte retrieval. Cytokine and estradiol concentrations were also evaluated in the follicular fluids obtained at the time of oocyte retrieval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients with PCOS had higher serum and follicular fluid tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 concentrations (P <.001) and lower follicular fluid estradiol levels (P <.05) than control women. In both groups, the serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and estradiol values increased significantly after hCG stimulation. In both groups, the follicular fluid cytokine concentrations were higher than those found in the serum. In the PCOS women the follicular fluid tumor necrosis factor-alpha values were significantly and inversely correlated to the follicular fluid estradiol values (rho = -0.79; P <.001); this correlation was not found in the control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In infertile women with PCOS, 1). serum and follicular fluid interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha values were higher than those found in control women, 2). the cytokine concentrations were higher in the follicular fluid than in the serum, and 3). the intrafollicular tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations were significantly and inversely correlated to the estradiol levels. These results suggest an involvement of the immune system in PCOS.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology, 2nd University of Naples, Naples, Italy. giovanni.amato@unina2.it
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: Gherardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazziotti
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lalli
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vitolo
authors.forename: Arthur T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bellastella
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carella
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Izzo
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004958:Estradiol