Jaou-Chen Huang

Vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-6 in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis

OBJECTIVE(S) To determine [1] vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in peritoneal fluid from women with endometriosis and compare them with those from oral contraceptive (OC) users and normal cycling women and [2] any correlation between VEGF and IL-6 concentrations. DESIGN Controlled clinical study. SETTING University medical center. PATIENT(S) Patients undergoing laparoscopy for infertility or other benign gynecologic conditions. INTERVENTION(S) Peritoneal fluid samples were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Levels of VEGF and IL-6 in peritoneal fluid were determined. RESULT(S) Compared with normal controls or women with less severe endometriosis (implant scores of 5 or less), women with more advanced endometriosis (implant scores of 6 or more) have elevated VEGF and IL-6 levels in peritoneal fluid. Compared with normal controls, markedly suppressed IL-6 but similar VEGF levels were found in peritoneal fluid from OC users. Neither VEGF nor IL-6 varied cyclically in normal women or those with endometriosis. There was no correlation between levels of VEGF and IL-6 in peritoneal fluid. There was no correlation between implant scores and VEGF or IL-6 levels. CONCLUSION The inflammation associated with endometriosis, through increased levels of peritoneal fluid VEGF, may promote angiogenesis for the progressive growth of endometriosis. Effective treatment of endometriosis by combination estrogen-progestin pills may involve the suppression of such inflammatory responses.

Baboon corpus luteum: epidermal growth factor receptor messenger ribonucleic acid expression during early, midluteal, and late luteal phases**Presented in part at the Conjoint American Fertility Society and Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society Meeting, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, October 11 to 14, 1993.††Supported by grant 24928 from the National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (F.S.K.-D.).

OBJECTIVE To determine the presence and compare the relative abundance of messenger RNA for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in baboon corpora lutea of different luteal ages. DESIGN Prospective controlled nonhuman primate study. SETTING Animal facility in an academic research institution. PARTICIPANTS Six adult female baboons with well-defined regular menstrual cycles. Stage of the menstrual cycle was determined by observation and scoring of perineal turgescence. The day of maximal turgescence was referred to as the day of LH surge. INTERVENTION Ten corpora lutea were obtained by luteectomy during early (LH + 1 to 5 days, n = 3), midluteal (LH + 6 to 10 days, n = 3), and late (LH + 11 to 15 days, n = 4) luteal phases. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Relative levels of messenger RNA for EGFR as determined by ribonuclease protection assay using RNA probe generated from complementary DNA for human EGFR. RESULTS Messenger RNA for EGFR is present in baboon corpora lutea with relative levels of 0.51 +/- 0.18 (mean +/- SEM) in the early, 0.43 +/- 0.17 in the midluteal, and 0.50 +/- 0.17 arbitrary units in the late luteal phase. CONCLUSION Baboon corpus luteum is a site of EGFR production; the levels of its messenger RNA did not change appreciably throughout the luteal phase.