Comparison of vaginal cytokine collection methods

Area of Science:

• Gynecology
• Immunology
• Biomedical Science

Background:

• Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key cytokine involved in inflammatory processes within the female reproductive tract.
• Accurate and reproducible measurement of vaginal cytokine levels is crucial for understanding gynecological health and disease.
• Current methods often rely on provider-collected samples, which can be less convenient for frequent monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To correlate interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations in patient-collected vaginal swabs with those in provider-collected specimens.
• To compare the reproducibility of patient- versus provider-collected cytokine sample collection methods.
• To assess the feasibility of frequent vaginal cytokine environment monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Participants provided vaginal samples using self-collected swabs and underwent provider-collected cytokine sampling during pelvic examination.
• Sample collection order was randomized to minimize bias.
• Interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations were quantified using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after batch analysis of frozen samples.

Main Results:

• A significant linear correlation was observed between IL-6 concentrations in patient-collected swabs and provider-collected specimens (r = 0.67, P < 0.001).
• High reproducibility was found between two separate swab collections (r = 0.94, P < 0.001) and two wick collections (r = 0.71, P < 0.001), though wick specimens showed greater variability.
• IL-6 levels were reproducibly measurable using both collection techniques.

Conclusions:

• Patient self-collection of vaginal swabs is a reproducible method for measuring IL-6 concentrations.
• The strong correlation with provider-collected samples suggests patient swabs are a viable alternative for monitoring the vaginal cytokine environment.
• The convenience of patient self-collection may enhance patient acceptance of frequent assessments of vaginal health.