title: Endometrial expression of LIF and its receptor and peritoneal fluid levels of IL-1α and IL-6 in women with endometriosis are associated with the probability of pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether eutopic endometrial expression of leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), LIF receptor (LIFR) and glycoprotein 130 (gp130) in subfertile women with endometriosis and in healthy controls is related to the probability of spontaneous pregnancy. In addition, we aimed to study peritoneal fluid (PF) levels of interleukin (IL)-1α and IL-6 in the same subsets of women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eutopic endometrial biopsy and PF samples were taken from patients with rASRM stage I-II endometriosis and healthy controls undergoing laparoscopy. Endometrial LIF, LIFR and gp130 immunostaining and PF levels of IL-1α and IL-6 were assessed. Endometrial biopsy samples were obtained again after postoperative goserelin acetate treatment and on-going pregnancies were registered during a 6-month follow-up period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reduced endometrial staining of LIF, LIFR and gp130, unaffected by surgery and goserelin, was seen in endometriosis patients without a recorded pregnancy during the study. Elevated PF levels of IL-6 and, in particular, IL-1α were detected in these patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduced eutopic endometrial LIF, LIFR and gp130 protein expression may be associated with subfertility in women with minimal-mild endometriosis. Combined surgical and goserelin acetate treatment does not seem to restore the expression of these members of the IL-6 cytokine superfamily. Elevated peritoneal fluid levels of IL-1α and IL-6 may further contribute to the difficulties of achieving pregnancy in these patients.
authors: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden, christian.moberg@kbh.uu.se.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Moberg
authors: Vladimir
authors: V
authors: Bourlev
authors: Natalia
authors: N
authors: Ilyasova
authors: Matts
authors: M
authors: Olovsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha; D015850:Interleukin-6; C507837:LIF protein, human; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor