[Determination of interleukine-16 levels in peritoneal fluid and serum of women with endometriosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of interleukine-16 (IL-16) in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. METHODS: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of IL-16 in peritoneal fluid and serum specimens of 22 women with different stage endometriosis and 22 controls. RESULTS: The median levels of IL-16 in peritoneal fluid and serum were 290.5 pg/ml and 539.4 pg/ml in women with endometriosis, and 296.6 pg/ml and 778.1 pg/ml in controls, respectively; there was no significant difference between two groups (P>0.05). However, the IL-16 levels in peritoneal fluid and serum of patients with minimal/mild stage endometriosis and controls were all significantly higher than those of patients with moderate/severe endometriosis (P<0.01, <0.05). In addition, there was no statistical correlation of peritoneal IL-16 levels with those in serum (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Reduced levels of IL-16 in peritoneal fluid and serum of women with advanced stage endometriosis may imply a role of IL-16 in the development and progression of endometriosis.