title: The diagnostic role of cervico-vaginal fluid interleukins-1α in endometriosis: A case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endometriosis is a chronic and progressive gynecological disorder and is manifest by dysmenorrhea and a major cause of infertility and chronic pelvic pain. The study was designed to compare the value of cervico-vaginal fluid of interleukin-1α (IL-1α) in patients with and without endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty women were assessed in this case control study. The case group included 25 patients with endometriosis. The control group included 25 women without any evidence of endometriosis or any other genital disease. Endometriosis was confirmed by laparoscopy and histopathological examination. Cervico-vaginal fluid samples were obtained from patients during the follicular phase and preup surgery to assess the levels of IL-1α in cervico-vaginal fluid. The level of IL-1α was assessed using commercially available Avi Bionhuman Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay kits (FIN-01720, Vantaa, Finland) for IL-1α. Receiver-operator curve analysis was used to estimate the power of IL-1α to distinguish subjects with endometriosis from controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cervico-vaginal fluid level of IL-1α in cases was 210.44 ± 40.11 pg/mL and in controls was 54.28 ± 25.73 pg/mL, the differences between two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). The cut-off point for cervico-vaginal fluid IL-1 for endometriosis was 105 pg/mL, with a sensitivity of 100% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 86.2-100), and specificity of 100% (95% CI: 86.2-100).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results show a significant increase in the cervico-vaginal fluid levels of IL-1α, in women with endometriosis, that it can be a useful marker in the diagnosis of endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Farahnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mardanian
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sheikh-Soleimani
keywords: Cervico-vaginal fluid; cytokine; endometriosis; interleukin-1α; interleukins