[Study on interferon gamma and interleukin-4 contents of plasma and cultured monoclear cell supernatants in patients with endometriosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cytokin production of T helper cell (Th) 1, Th2 subsets in patients with endometriosis(EM). METHODS: The cytokine production of Th1, Th2 cells expressed by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) contents respectively in supernatants of cultured PHA induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and plasma, obtained from 30 EM patients and 15 normal controls were determined by enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: IL-4 contents of EM patients were elevated both in plasma and PBMC supernatants[(32.0 +/- 22.6) ng/L and (32.8 +/- 12.5) ng/L, respectively], while IFN-gamma levels was suppressed in PBMC supernatant as compared with normal controls [(1,095.6 +/- 375.6) ng/L and (1,549.3 +/- 361.9) ng/L, respectively] (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). As a results, the ratio of IFN-gamma/IL-4 decreased in EM patients. CONCLUSIONS: Changes of IFN-gamma and IL-4 contents in EM patients may reflect functional inbalance between Th1 and Th2 cells, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of EM.