Distinct peritoneal fluid ghrelin and leptin in infertile women with endometriosis and their correlation with interleukin-6 and vascular endothelial growth factor.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the levels of leptin, ghrelin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in peritoneal fluid in patients with endometriosis and infertility, and study their correlation.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study included women undergoing diagnostic and/or therapeutic laparoscopy for endometriosis with chief complaint of infertility and/or pain at a tertiary care hospital. Based upon laparoscopic and histopathological findings, patients were categorized as with endometriosis and no endometriosis. Of the 50 patients with infertility (age 23-41 years), 19 had endometriosis while 31 had no endometriosis. The markers were assessed using ELISA kits.


RESULTS
The median levels of leptin in patients with endometriosis (10.20 ng/mL) were higher (p = 0.04) and median levels of ghrelin in patients with endometriosis (150.4 pg/mL) were lower (p = 0.037) versus patients with no endometriosis (5.07 ng/mL and 229.6 pg/mL, respectively). The median levels of IL-6 and VEGF in patients with endometriosis were not different between the groups. The correlation analyses showed that leptin levels and IL-6 were positively correlated (p = 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that ghrelin and leptin might play a key role in pathophysiology of endometriosis, and leptin is associated with inflammation in endometriosis.
Department of Physiology and.
Neha
N
Rathore
Alka
A
Kriplani
Raj Kumar
RK
Yadav
Urja
U
Jaiswal
Ritesh
R
Netam
D000328:Adult; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
D054439:Ghrelin; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D020738:Leptin; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Endometriosis; VEGF; ghrelin; interleukin-6; leptin; peritoneal fluid