title: Serum and peritoneal fluid levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in women with endometriosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endometriosis is known as one of the most common disease in women of reproductive age. Due to important role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in neo-vascularization for the implantation of endometrial cell, and also presence of different studies reported VEGF level in the serum and peritoneal fluid (PF) in endometriosis patients, this study was designed to determine the serum and PF levels of VEGF in endometriosis patients, and to compare with normal subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this descriptive study, 179 women subjected to laparoscopy for the evaluation of infertility or pelvic pain were allocated into the following two groups: group I: different types of endometriosis patients (n=90) and group II: non-endometriosis patients (n=89). The PF from pelvis and venous blood samples were obtained. The VEGF concentration of the serum and PF were measured using enzyme immunoassay kit and were compared using t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of VEGF in serum was significantly less than that in PF in both groups (p=0.00). However, endometriosis patients had significantly higher level of VEGF in peritoneal fluid than non-endometriosis patients (p=0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our findings, endometriosis is not associated with change in the level of circulating VEGF.
authors: Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Centre, Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Maryam
authors: M
authors: Kianpour
authors: Water and Electrolytes Research Centre, Department of Physiology, Kidney Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Mehdi
authors: M
authors: Nematbakhsh
authors: Isfahan Fertility and Infertility Centre, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Sayad Mehdi
authors: SM
authors: Ahmadi
authors: Isfahan Fertility and Infertility Centre, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Mehrangiz
authors: M
authors: Jafarzadeh
authors: Isfahan Fertility and Infertility Centre, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Masomeh
authors: M
authors: Hajjarian
authors: Water and Electrolytes Research Centre, Department of Physiology, Kidney Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Zahra
authors: Z
authors: Pezeshki
authors: Water and Electrolytes Research Centre, Department of Physiology, Kidney Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Tahereh
authors: T
authors: Safari
authors: Water and Electrolytes Research Centre, Department of Physiology, Kidney Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Eshraghi-Jazi
keywords: Endometriosis; Peritoneal Fluid; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor