title: [Evaluation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and tumor necrosis factor-beta in serum of patients with endometriosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and tumor necrosis factor-beta (TNF-beta) before and after conservative laparoscopic surgery in patients with endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The levels of TNF-alpha and TNF-beta in the serum of both 82 patients with EMS and 68 controls were determined by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of TNF-alpha and TNF-beta in the serum of patients with EMS were significantly higher than those of the controls (P < 0.01), and they increased with the clinical terms ( P < 0.05). After clearance of endometrosis foci with laparoscopic conservative surgery, the TNF-alpha levels decreased significantly in EMS III - IV, and TNF-beta levels decreased significantly in EMS I - IV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measuring TNF-alpha and TNF-beta levels in the serum of patients with EMS may have important value in postoperative follow-up, surveillance and evaluation of the effectiveness of the surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhujiang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yuan-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Dong-Xian
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Mu-Biao
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yan-Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha