American journal of reproductive immunology : AJRI
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Am. J. Reprod. Immunol. · Oct 1994
Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in peritoneal fluid and macrophage-conditioned media of women with endometriosis.
The presence of the various cytokines in human peritoneal fluid has been incompletely evaluated. Changes in cytokine levels may be related to activation of peritoneal macrophages, development of endometriosis, and infertility. This study assesses peritoneal fluid levels of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and peritoneal macrophage production of IL-6, in women with and without endometriosis. ⋯ Peritoneal macrophage IL-6 secretion is increased in women with endometriosis, and appears to correlate with disease stage. IFN-gamma does not appear to be responsible for the activation of macrophages in women with endometriosis.