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The expression of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in endometriosis
1Medical College, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Objective:
To investigate the association between concentrations of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) with regard to the severity of endometriosis.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Infertility unit in a university hospital.
Patient(S):
Seventy-one infertile patients who underwent laparoscopic evaluation were divided into two groups: 36 patients with endometriosis served as cases, and 35 patients without endometriosis served as control subjects.
Intervention(S):
Peripheral blood and peritoneal fluid (PF) were collected from these patients during laparoscopic examination.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Quantitative determination of levels of human ICAM-1 and IFN-gamma was performed with the use of an ELISA. The data were evaluated by Student's t-test, analysis of variance, and regression analysis.
Result(S):
Significantly elevated levels of soluble ICAM-1 were found in the sera of patients with endometriosis, especially those with advanced stages of the disease. Decreased IFN-gamma levels, which were negatively correlated with serum levels of soluble ICAM-1, also were noted in the PF of patients with endometriosis.
Conclusion(S):
The increased serum levels of ICAM-1 found in patients with endometriosis may indicate the presence of an active disease process. Further, the increased levels of soluble ICAM-1 in peripheral blood were inversely correlated with the concentrations of IFN-gamma in PF. The increased levels of soluble ICAM-1 in plasma may be associated with an immunologic feedback response that blocks further infiltration of immune cells. These findings may be of value in the diagnosis and evaluation of endometriosis.