Interleukin-6 and hormonal biomarker profiles in Moroccan women with endometriosis

Endometriosis remains an underdiagnosed gynecological condition due to the lack of validated non-invasive biomarkers. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and other hormonal parameters in women with endometriosis.

A total of 224 Moroccan women (n=224) were recruited from a gynecology center in Morocco, including 112 patients with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis and 112 asymptomatic controls. Plasma levels of IL-6 and serum levels of CA125, AMH, and gonadotropins were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The diagnostic performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Plasma IL-6 and serum CA125 levels were significantly elevated in the endometriosis group (P<0.001), whereas reproductive hormone levels were significantly lower (P<0.001). Among all biomarkers tested, IL-6 demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance, with an area under the curve of 0.952, a sensitivity of 91.1%, and a specificity of 80.4%.

IL-6 may serve as a promising non-invasive biomarker for the detection of endometriosis, with superior diagnostic accuracy compared to currently used markers. Further multicenter validation is warranted to establish clinical cutoffs and confirm its utility in routine practice.