Changes of cytokines levels in peritoneal fluids of patients with endometriosis and its effect on reproductive activity.

To study the changes of cytokines in peritoneal fluids of patients with endometriosis and their effects on reproductive activity, levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in peritoneal fluids and peritoneal macrophages' culture supernatant were studied by using enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) in 14 infertile patients with endometriosis (EMT group) and 11 infertile women with normal pelvis (control group). The effects of peritoneal fluids in patients with endometriosis in vitro on sperm motility and development of 2-cell mouse embryos were also studied. The results showed that the levels of TNF and IL-6 in peritoneal fluids and peritoneal macrophages' supernatant in EMT group were elevated significantly as compared with those in the control group (P < 0.01). The percent of sperm straight line movement and total sperm motility were decreased significantly in EMT group (P < 0.01). The percent of 2-cell mouse embryos developing to 16-cells was 32.5% in EMT group, while 47.6% in control group after 48 h co-culture with peritoneal fluid (P < 0.01). It is likely that the elevation of peritoneal fluid cytokines in patients with endometriosis may play a role in infertility associated with endometriosis.