[TNF-alpha serum levels in women with endometriosis: prospective clinical study]

To determine serum levels of TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor alpha) as a prediction of endometriosis.

Prospective clinical case control study.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Department of Pathology, Jessenius Faculty Hospital, Kollarova 2, Martin, Slovakia.

The serum TNF-alpha was determined in women who underwent laparoscopy or laparotomy due to pelvic pain, infertility, dysmenorea or pelvic tumor. Endometriosis was confirmed histologically and classified by rAFS.

On the basis of entering criteria 65 women were enrolled in this study. In 61 cases serum level of TNF-alpha was evaluated. The average serum level of TNF-alpha in the endometriotic group was 73.847 pg/ml (n=30) and without endometriosis was 21.089 pg/ml (n=31). We have found a significant statistical difference between the above mentioned groups in the medium levels of TNF-alpha (p<0.0001). We did not find statistical significance between TNF-alpha levels and in the group of women with endometriosis in relation to the stage of the disease (I.-II., III.-IV., adenomyosis). At a cut-off level of TNF-alpha 30 pg/ml there was a 63.33% sensitivity, 77.42% specificity, a positive prediction value 73.07%, and 68.57% of negative predictive value.

TNF-alpha serum levels are good diagnostic markers of endometriosis in the spectrum of noninvasive methods.