Elevated ghrelin levels in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis: associations with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inflammatory cytokines

Dziunycz P, Piotr Dziunycz, Łukasz Milewski, Milewski Ł, Dariusz Radomski, Radomski D, Ewa Barcz, Paweł Kamiński, Kamiński P, Piotr I. Roszkowski, Roszkowski PI, Jacek Malejczyk
Fertility and sterility · 2008 · vol. 92(6) , pp. 1844–1849 · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.09.002 · PMID:18976754 · W2062595691
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This study found that ghrelin levels are elevated in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis and are associated with increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inflammatory cytokines.

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Abstract

ObjectiveTo study ghrelin concentrations in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis and of control women without pelvic pathology and its associations with the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).DesignCase-control study.SettingUniversity research institution and hospital.Patient(s)Forty-six nonobese women with laparoscopically and histopathologically confirmed endometriosis and 20 control women without pelvic pathology.Intervention(s)Peritoneal fluid was aspirated during routine diagnostic laparoscopic examination.Main outcome measure(s)Concentrations of ghrelin and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1 beta, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor [TNF], and VEGF) in the peritoneal fluid were evaluated by specific enzyme immunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, respectively.Result(s)Ghrelin concentrations in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis were significantly increased as compared with control subjects. Peritoneal ghrelin levels in patients with endometriosis were strongly positively associated with VEGF (r(s) = 0.625). There was no correlation between ghrelin and IL-1 beta, IL-6, or TNF.Conclusion(s)The results of the present study show that endometriosis is associated with increased peritoneal ghrelin levels. The association between ghrelin and endometriotic lesion vascularization remains to be elucidated.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Ascitic Fluid Cytokines Endometriosis Ghrelin Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A Adult Ascitic Fluid Body Mass Index Cytokines Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Ghrelin Humans Interleukin-1beta Interleukin-1beta Interleukin-6 Interleukin-6 Neovascularization, Pathologic Neovascularization, Pathologic

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