Interleukin-8 serum levels do not correlate with pelvic pain in patients with ovarian endometriomas

OBJETIVE
To determine whether interleukin-8 (IL-8) serum levels are correlated with pelvic pain in patients with ovarian endometriomas.

DESIGN
Prospective study.

SETTING
Tertiary-care university hospital.

PATIENT(S)
Interleukin-8 serum levels were prospectively analyzed in 51 patients (group A, asymptomatic patients or patients with mild dysmenorrhea; group B, severe dysmenorrhea and/or chronic pelvic pain and/or dyspareunia) who underwent surgery for cystic ovarian endometriosis to asses whether a correlation exists between IL-8 serum levels and pelvic pain.

INTERVENTION(S)
Interleukin-8 serum levels determination

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
Interleukin-8 serum levels and pelvic pain

RESULT(S)
From 56 patients, five cases were ultimateley excluded because the histologic diagnosis was not cystic ovarian endometriosis (2 teratomas and 3 haemorragic cysts). The mean (+/-SD) IL-8 serum levels in group A were 6.41 +/- 12.17 pg/mL and in group B were 6.52 +/- 8.73 pg/mL.

CONCLUSION(S)
Pain symptoms in ovarian endometriosis is not correlated with IL-8 serum levels.

CITATION Fertil Steril. 2010 Jul;94(2):450-2