title: Oxidative stress may be a piece in the endometriosis puzzle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the total antioxidant potential of women with endometriosis-associated infertility, women with idiopathic infertility, and fertile controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University medical hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five women admitted for diagnostic laparoscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peritoneal fluid samples were analyzed for superoxide dismutase activity and total antioxidant status on spectrophotometry, glutathione peroxidase activity on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and lipid peroxides levels on colorimetry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant status was lowest and lipid peroxide level was highest among infertile patients with endometriosis. Women with idiopathic infertility, in contrast, had the highest superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant status activity and the lowest lipid peroxide level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High antioxidant potential is not a contributing factor in women with idiopathic infertility. Low total antioxidant status and low activity of antioxidant enzymes in the peritoneal fluid of infertile women with endometriosis probably do not influence fertility in these women, but these factors may play a role in the development of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of Reproduction, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland. matmikol@gpsk.am.poznan.pl
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szczepańska
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koźlik
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skrzypczak
authors.forename: Mateusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikołajczyk
mesh_terms: D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000201:enzymology; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000378:metabolism; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000032:analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase