title: Serum anti-inflammatory cytokines for the evaluation of inflammatory status in endometriosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endometriosis is a frequent gynecologic disease with a severe impact on the quality of life in the affected women; its pathogenesis is yet to be fully understood, with an altered immunity as a possible key factor. The present study aimed to investigate the serum anti-inflammatory cytokine profile in the patients with endometriosis compared with the healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixty women were included, divided into two study groups (Group I - endometriosis; Group 2 - healthy women). We evaluated the serum levels of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, and IL-15 with the use of Human multiplex cytokine panels. Statistical analyses (normality distribution analysis, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test) were performed using IBM SPSS software (version 22.0) and GraphPad Prism (version 5.00); receiver operating characteristic curve were used to demonstrate the diagnostic performance of the studied markers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum level of IL-1Ra, IL-4, and IL-10 were significantly higher in women with endometriosis compared to women free of disease from the control group (30.155, 138.459, and 1.489, respectively, compared to 14.109, 84.710, and 0.688, respectively; P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.002, respectively.). No significant differences in the mean serum levels of IL-2, IL-13, and IL-15 were observed between the studied groups and IL-2R had a very low detection rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endometriosis is associated with elevated levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1Ra, IL-4, and IL-10, markers that have a potential role as a prognostic factor for endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca 400610, Romania.
authors.forename: Andrei Mihai
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Măluţan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca 400610, Romania.
authors.forename: Tudor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Drugan
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca 400610, Romania.
authors.forename: Răzvan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ciortea
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca 400610, Romania.
authors.forename: Radu Florin
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Mocan-Hognogi
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca 400610, Romania.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bucuri
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca 400610, Romania.
authors.forename: Maria Patricia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rada
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca 400610, Romania.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mihu
keywords: Cytokines; endometriosis; immunity; inflammation; interleukin