Cytokine production by immunocompetent cells of peritoneal fluid in women with external genital endometriosis.

The content of some cytokines in the peritoneal fluid and the level of their in vitro production by peritoneal macrophages and lymphocytes were evaluated in women with external endometriosis. The ratio of peritoneal lymphocytes and macrophages in the peritoneal fluid was changed in endometriosis because of increased percentage of lymphoid cells and decreased content of macrophages, in the presence of high absolute counts of both types of cells. The cytokine status of women with endometriosis was characterized by higher levels of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and epidermal growth factors both in the peritoneal fluid and supernatants of 24-h cultures of peritoneal macrophages; the content of IFN-alpha remained unchanged.