TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR IN PLASMA AND PERITONEAL-FLUID OF WOMEN WITH AND WITHOUT ENDOMETRIOSIS

To determine whether in vivo levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha in plasma and peritoneal fluid differ in infertile subjects with and without endometriosis, peripheral blood and peritoneal fluid samples were collected in 94 women undergoing laparoscopy for infertility. Quantitative determinations of tumor necrosis factor alpha were performed by an enzyme immunoassay test. Tumor necrosis factor alpha levels were below the detection limit (10 pg/ml) in plasma and peritoneal fluid of 42 (91%) and 30 (90%) patients with endometriosis and 40 (83%) and 31 (91%) subjects without the disease, respectively. In our series, plasma and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels were not different in infertile women with and without endometriosis.