Premium
Interleukins‐6 and −8 Levels in Sera and Cervical Mucus of Fertile, Idiopathic Infertile, and Immunoinfertile Women: Implication in Infertility
Author(s) -
Naz Rajesh K.,
Butler Avigdor
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1996.tb00054.x
Subject(s) - mucus , infertility , cervical mucus , medicine , etiology , andrology , antibody , unexplained infertility , immunology , cervix , biology , pregnancy , ecology , genetics , cancer
PROBLEM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of interleukin‐6 and −8 (IL‐6 and IL‐8) in sera and cervical mucus of infertile (idiopathic and immunoinfertile) women and to compare the levels with those in age‐matched normally cycling fertile women. METHODS: Levels of IL‐6 and IL‐8 were measured in the sera and cervical mucus of fertile and infertile women by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A non‐parametric Mann‐Whitney test was used to evaluate significance between the means. Linear regression analysis of IL‐6 and IL‐8 concentrations in serum versus cervical mucus and with antisperm antibody titers was performed by condition as well as all groups together. P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Both IL‐6 and IL‐8 were detected in sera and cervical mucus of fertile as well as infertile groups. Although serum levels of IL‐6 and IL‐8 were significantly different between fertile and infertile groups, the differences were more pronounced in the cervical mucus samples. Cervical mucus of idiopathic and immunoinfertile women demonstrated significantly ( P = 0.002 to < 0.0001) greater concentrations of IL‐6 and IL‐8 compared to fertile controls. In general, there was no significant correlation between the serum and cervical mucus IL‐6 and IL‐8 levels, whether analyzed by condition or all groups together. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated levels of IL‐6 and IL‐8 in cervical mucus of infertile groups may play a role in etiology of idiopathic and immunologic infertility. These findings suggest that the measurements of cytokines (especially IL‐6 and IL‐8) in cervical mucus may provide a tool for specific diagnosis and possibly treatment of infertility, especially idiopathic infertility.