[Determination of interleukine-16 levels in peritoneal fluid and serum of women with endometriosis].
To investigate the role of interleukine-16 (IL-16) in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.



Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of IL-16 in peritoneal fluid and serum specimens of 22 women with different stage endometriosis and 22 controls.



The median levels of IL-16 in peritoneal fluid and serum were 290.5 pg/ml and 539.4 pg/ml in women with endometriosis, and 296.6 pg/ml and 778.1 pg/ml in controls, respectively; there was no significant difference between two groups (P>0.05). However, the IL-16 levels in peritoneal fluid and serum of patients with minimal/mild stage endometriosis and controls were all significantly higher than those of patients with moderate/severe endometriosis (P<0.01, <0.05). In addition, there was no statistical correlation of peritoneal IL-16 levels with those in serum (P>0.05).



Reduced levels of IL-16 in peritoneal fluid and serum of women with advanced stage endometriosis may imply a role of IL-16 in the development and progression of endometriosis.
Lin
Jun
J
The Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China.
Zhang
Xin-mei
XM
Deng
Lin
L
Chen
Zheng-yun
ZY
Chen
Li
L
D000328:Adult; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019410:Interleukin-16 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged
D019410:Interleukin-16