Role of Inferon-gamma in Peritoneal Fluid from Endometriotic Patients in Their Infertility

Objective: To determine whether peritoneal fluid from women with endometriosis contributes to their infertility due to sperm function impairment and explore the role of inferon-gamma(IFN-γ) in the fluid in the event.Methods: The level of IFN-γ in peritoneal fluid of 30 endometriosis women was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and was compared with that of 30 non-endometriosis women with infertility and 30 normal women.Furthermore,parameters of sperm motility were tested by sperm automatic analysis system after sperm was incubated with peritoneal fluid.Sperm acrosome reaction was detected by the fluorescence microscope.Results: IFN-γ contents of endometriosis group were significantly higher than those of other two groups,while IFN-γ level was elevated in severe endometriosis as compared with mild endometriosis.Sperm motility was suppressed after sperm was incubated in peritoneal fluid of endometriosis group as compared with those of other two groups,while sperm motility level negatively correlated with contents of IFN-γ in peritoneal fluid of endometriosis group.Sperm acrosome reaction in endometriosis group decreased significantly in comparison with the control 16 hours after incubation with peritoneal fluid.Conclusion: Peritoneal fluid from women with endometriosis inhibits normal sperm motility and sperm acrosome reaction and increases the level of IFN-γ in peritoneal fluid,which may be related to endometriosis-associated infertility.