LeeDawson

Saturday 25 November 2006




Cytokine changes do not explain endometriosis-related infertility
Source: Human Reproduction 2006; 21: 3054-8

Testing whether there is an altered secretion of interleukin 11 and leukemia-inhibitory factor, which could explain infertility in women with minimal endometriosis.


Reduced fecundity in women with endometriosis does not appear to be due to altered levels of the cytokines interleukin (IL)11 and leukemia-inhibitory factor (LIF) compared with healthy women, Polish scientists report.

Identifying potential differences in concentrations of molecular factors that contribute to endometrial receptivity within the uterine cavity might shed light on the problem of infertility, the authors state.

To this end, they measured levels of IL-11 and LIF, factors associated with embryo implantation in human eutopic endometrium, in 14 infertile women with stage I/II endometriosis, and 21 fertile, endometriosis-free controls.

Samples of uterine flushing and endometrial lining were collected during the uterine window, defined as 7-9 days post-ovulation.

Analysis of uterine flushings revealed that no IL-11 was present in either group of women, and that LIF levels did not differ significantly between women with or without endometriosis, at 25.53 pg/ml versus 36.26 pg/ml.

"On the basis of our studies and the review of literature, we postulate that there is no general inherent receptivity defect (at least with respect to IL-11 and LIF) in eutopic endometrium of women with minimal endometriosis," M Mikolajczyk and colleagues, from the University of Medical Sciences in Poznan, comment.

Posted: 24 November 2006

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