Endometriosis and Infertility: A Multi‐cytokine Imbalance Versus Ovulation, Fertilization and Early Embryo Development

S Vassiliadis, K Relakis, A Papageorgiou, Apostolos Papageorgiou, I Athanassakis, Irene Athanassakis
Clinical & developmental immunology · 2005 · vol. 12(2) , pp. 125–129 · doi:10.1080/17402520500125484 · PMID:16050143 · PMC2270735 · W2000202943
review OA: gold CC0 ⤵ 15 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-12 ⓘ

This commentary explores how specific cytokine imbalances in endometriosis can disrupt ovulation, fertilization, and implantation, identifying key cytokines that influence each stage.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is tightly linked to infertility which is manifested at very early or more advanced stages of the gestational cycle. Alteration on the production of a great number of cytokines/growth factors can be accused for problems on ovum maturation, fertilization or implantation. Yet, macroscopically these stages are characterized by the inability of conception. A closer look of the cytokinic profile during the conceptional and early gestational cycle could, however, localize the problem and allow a therapeutic approach. In this commentary, going through the cytokine requirement during ovulation, fertilization and the early stages of pregnancy, it became possible to specifically define the harmful endometriosis-induced cytokines for each of the conceptional and early gestational stages. Thus, regulating the levels of interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis-alpha will facilitate ovulation and fertilization, whereas adjusting the levels of interleukin-1beta and colony stimulating gactor-1 will facilitate implantation.

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Condition tags

endometriosisinfertility

MeSH descriptors

Cytokines Embryo, Mammalian Endometriosis Fertilization Infertility, Female Ovulation Animals Cytokines Cytokines Embryo, Mammalian Embryo, Mammalian Embryo, Mammalian Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Fertilization Humans Infertility, Female Infertility, Female

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (28)

Cited by (15)

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