[In vitro effect of danazol on cytokine production of macrophages in peritoneal fluid of infertile patients with endometriosis and its relationship with cytosolic free calicum concentration].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate in vitro effect of danazol on cytokine production of macrophages in peritoneal fluid from infertile patients with endometriosis and its relationship with cytosolic free calicum ([Ca2+]i) concentration. METHODS: Pertitoneal macrophages were obtaind from 14 cases of 24 infertile women with endometriosis (EM group) and 11 cases of 19 infertile women with normal pelvis (control group). Danazol was added to peritoneal macrophages culture reaching final concentrrations of 10 micrograms/L, 100 micrograms/L, 1,000 micrograms/L respectively. Tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in macrophage supernatant were detected by enzyme linked immunoassay. The [Ca2+]i of cultured peritoneal macrophage and its changes after danazol addition were also studied. RESULTS: In EM group TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in peritoneal macrophage supernatant and [Ca2+]i of macrophages were elevated significantly as compared with those in control group. When danazol was added to the cell culture and reached 100 micrograms/L of concentration, the levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in cultured macrophage supernatant and the [Ca2+]i of macrophages in EM group decreased significantly (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: It is suggested that danazol may exert its suppressive effect on endometriosis by inhibiting cytokine release of peritoneal macrophages and may related to decline of [Ca2+]i concentration.