Decreased peritoneal concentrations of interleukin-15 in women with advanced stage endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the concentrations of interleukin-15 (IL-15) in peritoneal fluid from women with endometriosis and fertile disease-free controls.


METHODS
Peritoneal fluid samples were obtained from 50 women with endometriosis and 29 fertile women having tubal ligation. Concentrations of IL-15 were measured.


RESULTS
The mean (S.D.s) concentration of IL-15 in peritoneal fluid was 11.17 pg/mL (3.89) for women with endometriosis, and 12.59 pg/mL (4.11) for fertile disease-free controls. The difference of peritoneal IL-15 concentrations between endometriosis and control women was not statistically significant. However, peritoneal IL-15 concentrations were significantly lower in women with moderate/severe endometriosis when compared with those in women with minimal/mild endometriosis, and in controls (P<0.05). In addition, peritoneal IL-15 concentrations did not correlate with the phase of menstrual cycle in endometriosis or control women.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the decreased peritoneal IL-15 concentrations in women with moderate/severe endometriosis imply a role of IL-15 in the pathogenesis of advanced endometriosis as compared to those with minimal/mild endometriosis and fertile disease-free controls.
Lin
Jun
J
Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China. xinmei6@yahoo.com
Zhang
Xinmei
X
Lin
Deng
D
Fang
Qingxian
Q
Qian
Yuli
Y
D000328:Adult; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D010535:Laparoscopy
D019409:Interleukin-15