The role of biological markers in predicting infertility associated with non-obstructive endometriosis

Nicolae Gica, Nicolae Gică, Anca Maria Panaitescu, George Iancu, Radu Botezatu, Gheorghe Peltecu, Corina Gică, Corina Gica
Ginekologia polska · 2020 · vol. 91(4) , pp. 189–192 · doi:10.5603/gp.2020.0039 · PMID:32374018 · W3023019435
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-10 ⓘ

This study found that elevated CA-125 and IL-6 serum levels predicted infertility in women with non-obstructive endometriosis, while IL-8 did not.

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⚙ AI-generated deep summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-10 · read from full text ⓘ

This paper evaluated whether peripheral biological markers could predict infertility in women with non-obstructive endometriosis using two prospective, non-randomised studies. Before laparoscopy, serum CA-125, IL-6, and IL-8 were measured and participants were grouped into fertile versus infertile women (n=152). The results showed significantly higher mean CA-125 levels in the infertile group and significantly higher IL-6 serum values in the infertile group, while IL-8 showed no statistically significant difference between groups. The study’s limitation is its non-randomised design, which may affect generalizability. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — specifically using CA-125 and IL-6 as predictive markers of infertility in non-obstructive endometriosis.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Our study evaluates if the use of biological markers can predict the infertility in women with non-obstructive endometriosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two prospective, non-randomised studies were conducted to identify if CA-125, IL-6 and IL-8 can be used as predictive markers for infertility in women with non-obstructive endometriosis. Peripheral levels of CA-125, IL-6 and IL-8 were measured before laparoscopy in all patients. RESULTS: We found a total number of 152 patients with non-obstructive endometriosis, we divided them in two groups: fertile and infertile women. There was a statistically significant difference of the mean of CA-125 values between the two groups (p = 0.00). The patients with infertility had a significantly higher IL-6 serum values than the fertile patients (p = 0.00). Regarding the IL-8 serum values, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups fertile vs infertile, (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The elevated serum levels of CA-125 and IL-6 was associated with an increased probability of being diagnosed with infertility. The IL-8 had no value in predicting infertility associated with non-obstructive endometriosis.
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Abstract

Objectives: Our study evaluates if the use of biological markers can predict the infertility in women with non-obstructive endometriosis.

Material and methods

Two prospective, non-randomised studies were conducted to identify if CA-125, IL-6 and IL-8 can be used as predictive markers for infertility in women with non-obstructive endometriosis. Peripheral levels of CA-125, IL-6 and IL-8 were measured before laparoscopy in all patients.

Results

We found a total number of 152 patients with non-obstructive endometriosis, we divided them in two groups: fertile and infertile women. There was a statistically significant difference of the mean of CA-125 values between the two groups (p = 0.00). The patients with infertility had a significantly higher IL-6 serum values than the fertile patients (p = 0.00). Regarding the IL-8 serum values, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups fertile vs infertile, (p = 0.06).

Conclusions

The elevated serum levels of CA-125 and IL-6 was associated with an increased probability of being diagnosed with infertility. The IL-8 had no value in predicting infertility associated with non-obstructive endometriosis.

Keywords

CA-125IL-6IL-8biological markernon-obstructive endometriosisprediction of infertility

References

- Giudice L, Kao L. Endometriosis. The Lancet. 2004; 364(9447): 1789–1799. - Fassbender A. Biomarkers of endometriosis. Fertility and Sterility. 2013; 99: 1135–1144. - Eskenazi B, Warner M. Epidemiology of endometriosis. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 1997; 24(2): 235–258. - Fassbender A, Burney RO, O DF, et al. Update on Biomarkers for the Detection of Endometriosis. Biomed Res Int. 2015; 2015: 130854. - Counseller V. Endometriosis. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1938; 36(5): 877–888. - de Ziegler D, Pirtea P, Carbonnel M, et al. Implantation markers and endometriosis. Reprod Biomed Online. 2005; 11(4): 464–468. - Carmona F, Chapron C, Martínez-Zamora MÁ, et al. Ovarian endometrioma but not deep infiltrating endometriosis is associated with increased serum levels of interleukin-8 and interleukin-6. J Reprod Immunol. 2012; 95(1-2): 80–95. - Carp HJA, Selmi C, Shoenfeld Y. The autoimmune bases of infertility and pregnancy loss. J Autoimmun. 2012; 38(2-3): 266–274. - May KE, Conduit-Hulbert SA, Villar J, et al. Peripheral biomarkers of endometriosis: a systematic review. Hum Reprod Update. 2010; 16(6): 1–24. - Gupta S, Agarwal A, Sekhon L, et al. Serum and peritoneal abnormalities in endometriosis: potential use as diagnostic markers. Minerva Ginecol. 2006; 58(6): 527–551. - Othman EED, Hornung D, Salem HT, et al. Serum cytokines as biomarkers for nonsurgical prediction of endometriosis. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2008; 137(2): 240–246. - Bedaiwy MA, Falcone T, Sharma RK, et al. Prediction of endometriosis with serum and peritoneal fluid markers: a prospective controlled trial. Hum Reprod. 2002; 17(2): 426–431. - Ohata Y, Harada T, Miyakoda H, et al. Serum interleukin-8 levels are elevated in patients with ovarian endometrioma. Fertil Steril. 2008; 90(4): 994–999. - Salmeri FM, Laganà AS, Sofo V, et al. Behaviour of cytokine levels in serum and peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2002; 54(2): 82–87.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosisinfertility

MeSH descriptors

CA-125 Antigen Endometriosis Infertility, Female Interleukin-6 Adult Biomarkers Biomarkers CA-125 Antigen Case-Control Studies Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Follicular Phase Follicular Phase Humans Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Interleukin-6 Prospective Studies

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