title: The human ovarian follicular fluid level of interleukin-8 is associated with follicular size and patient age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the human ovarian follicle and follicular size, patient age, and fertility factors in IVF cycles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital research laboratory and infertility clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women undergoing IVF with oocyte retrieval.
  
  
  METHODS
  Follicular fluid (FF) aspiration, oocyte isolation, FF storage, and experimental studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantization of IL-8 by ELISAs and protein microarray; high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) followed by ELISA and Western blotting to evaluate alpha(2)-macroglobulin (alpha(2)M) bound IL-8; association of IL -8 to follicular size, patient age, and IVF outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Samples of FF from 63 patients contained an average of 629.59 pg/mL of IL-8 with 50%-70% bound to alpha(2)M. Large follicles contained higher levels of IL-8 than small follicles (937.34 vs. 86.97 pg/mL). The IL-8 concentration in the large follicles of women of young age was higher than that of older reproductive age women (1,373.61 vs. 673.29 pg/mL). There were no statistically significant associations found between IL-8 concentration and other IVF cycle factors or pregnancy outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that IL-8 is present in FF, both in its free and alpha(2)M-bound state, and its concentration is correlated with follicular size and patient age.
authors.affiliation: Boston IVF, Waltham, Massachusetts; Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Malizia
authors.forename: Yoo Sang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Wook
authors.forename: Alan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Penzias
authors.forename: Anny
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Usheva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D055815:Young Adult; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D004958:Estradiol