title: Peritoneal fluid concentrations of interleukin-17 correlate with the severity of endometriosis and infertility of this disorder.
abstract: This prospective study aimed to determine whether patients with endometriosis are having different level of interlukin-17 (IL-17) in peritoneal fluid when compared with patients without endometriosis. The patients with minimal/mild endometriosis had a significantly higher level of IL-17 in peritoneal fluid compared with those with moderate/severe endometriosis or without endometriosis. The concentration of IL-17 in peritoneal fluid was significantly higher when endometriosis and infertility coexist. However, the concentration of IL-17 in peritoneal fluid did not correlate with the phase of the menstrual cycle in the patients with or without endometriosis. Our study suggested that IL-17 might play an important role in the pathogenesis of early endometriosis and endometriosis-associated infertility.
authors.affiliation: Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xinmei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yuli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17