title: Intracellular cytokine production in peripheral blood lymphocytes: a comparison of values in infertile and fertile women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the relation of the fertility and pregnancy of women of childbearing age to the intracellular (IC) production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukins 2 and 4 (IL-2 and IL-4).
  
  
  METHODS
  Intracellular cytokine production in peripheral blood CD3(+)  CD4(+) lymphocytes was analyzed by flow cytometry in 185 women being treated for infertility and 50 fertile women of childbearing age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infertile women have a significantly higher IC production of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4 and higher ratios of TNF-α/IL-2, TNF-α/IL-4, and TNF-α/IFN-γ compared to the fertile women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cytokines produced by Th lymphocytes are important in orchestrating the immune response during conception, and Th-cell dysregulation could be a reason for infertility.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine, General Teaching Hospital and 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Horká
authors.forename: Radka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jarošová
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Malíčková
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Janatková
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marečková
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zima
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalousová
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma