Serum anti-inflammatory cytokines for the evaluation of inflammatory status in endometriosis

• Main Authors: Andrei Mihai Malutan, Tudor Drugan, Răzvan Ciortea, Radu Florin Mocan-Hognogi, Carmen Bucuri, Maria Patricia Rada, Dan Mihu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2015-01-01
• Series: Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
• Subjects: Cytokines; endometriosis; immunity; inflammation; interleukin
• Online Access: http://www.jmsjournal.net/article.asp?issn=1735-1995;year=2015;volume=20;issue=7;spage=668;epage=674;aulast=Malutan
• ISSN: 1735-1995; 1735-7136

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. Materials and 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. Conclusion: 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.