Cytokine and growth factor profile in endometriosis: a multiplex analysis of peritoneal fluid to assess diagnostic utility

Abstract

We aimed to assay cytokines and growth factors in peritoneal fluid samples from women with and without endometriosis to understand the inflammatory milieu, and assess their potential diagnostic utility. This cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care hospital included 54 women, aged 20–45 years, with regular menstrual history and undergoing diagnostic/therapeutic laparoscopy for infertility and/or pain. Peritoneal fluid samples were collected after insertion of trocar & laparoscope but prior to other surgical intervention. A multiplex immunoassay of 27 cytokines and growth factors was performed. The concentration of FGF2 and CSF3 were significantly lower in women with endometriosis than without endometriosis (p = .043 and .003, respectively). The levels of CCL2 and IL1RN were significantly higher in moderate-severe than in minimal-mild endometriosis (p = .038 and .043, respectively). Phase-specific comparison revealed that in proliferative phase, the levels of CSF2 and CSF3 were lower in women with endometriosis than without the disease (p = .047 and .013, respectively). The ROC curve analysis provided a cutoff value 0.78 and 0.76 for FGF2 and CSF3, respectively. Cytokines and growth factors such as FGF2, CSF3, CSF2, CCL2 and IL1RN seem to contribute to the pathogenesis of endometriosis and may have a potential utility for the diagnosis of endometriosis.

摘要

我们旨在检测患有和不患有子宫内膜异位症的女性的腹膜液样品中的细胞因子和生长因子, 以了解炎症环境, 并评估其潜在的诊断价值。这项在三级医院进行的横断面研究包括54名年龄在20-45岁之间, 有规律的月经史并接受诊断/治疗性腹腔镜检查以治疗不孕症和/或疼痛的女性。在插入套管针和腹腔镜之后, 在进行其他外科手术之前收集腹膜液标本。对27种细胞因子和生长因子进行了多重免疫分析。子宫内膜异位症患者的FGF2和CSF3浓度显著低于无子宫内膜异位症患者（p= .043和p= .003）。CCL2和IL1RN水平在中重度子宫内膜异位症患者中显著高于轻度子宫内膜异位症患者（p= .038和p= .043）。阶段特异性比较发现, 在增殖期, 子宫内膜异位症患者的CSF2和CSF3水平低于未患病的患者（p= .047和p= .013）。通过ROC曲线分析, FGF2和CSF3的临界值分别为0.78和0.76。细胞因子和生长因子如FGF2、CSF3、CSF2、CCL2和IL1RN似乎参与了子宫内膜异位症的发病机制, 可能对子宫内膜异位症的诊断有潜在的作用。

The Chinese abstracts are translated by Prof. Dr. Xiangyan Ruan and her team: Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100026, China.

Keywords:

• Cytokines
• endometriosis
• growth factors
• multiplex immunoassay
• peritoneal fluid

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by intramural grants from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.