Measurement of serum and peritoneal levels of amyloid protein A and their importance in the diagnosis of pelvic endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate serum and peritoneal concentrations of amyloid protein A in women with endometriosis and to compare them with those of women without endometriosis.


METHODS
A prospective study evaluated 76 women suspected of having pelvic endometriosis. Fifty-seven women (group A) were confirmed by videolaparoscopy and had their serum and peritoneal amyloid A concentrations measured by ELISA. The average levels from group A were compared to those obtained in group B. Group B was composed of 13 women without endometriosis, submitted to elective laparoscopy for tubal ligation.


RESULTS
Peritoneal amyloid A concentrations in group A (310.3 +/- 97.8 ng/mL) were higher than those of group B (53.4 +/- 58.2 ng/mL); p = 0.0. However, serum concentrations in groups A (14.01 +/- 32.3 ng/mL) and B (9.5 +/- 15.9 ng/mL) did not differ significantly; p = 0.35.


CONCLUSIONS
The peritoneal amyloid A protein concentration in pelvic endometriosis was higher when compared to normal controls, corroborating the inflammatory nature of the disease. This finding suggests that the procedure of evaluating the peritoneal amyloid A concentration in endometriosis merits further investigation.
Endometriosis Unit, Division of Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Dani
D
Ejzenberg
Sérgio
S
Podgaec
João Antônio
JA
Dias
Ricardo Manoel
RM
de Oliveira
Edmund Chada
EC
Baracat
Maurício Simões
MS
Abrão
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis*
D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein