Problem: The aims of this study were (i) to identify the presence and concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in pre-ovulatory follicular fluid (FF) in patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation regimen for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) (G.1), hMG (G.2) or rFSH/ hMG (G.3) treatment and (ii) to determine whether controlled ovarian hyperstimulation stimulation regimen could affect the concentration of these investigated interleukins and as a consequences the ICSI outcome. (iii) Moreover, it was intended to clarify the association between these investigated parameters and the peripheral blood level of estradiol 17-beta, progesterone, leuteinizing hormone (LH) at the day of oocyte retrieval and (iv) finally to find out whether these interleukin concentrations in FF could be considered as an additional parameter for predicting fertilization and pregnancy outcome in ICSI patients.
Material and methods: Interleukin-6, IL-8 and GM-CSF concentrations were determined in the FF of 85 patients. The levels of these interleukins were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique, using commercially available kits.
Results: Interleukin-6 (6.5 +/- 4.6 pg/mL), IL-8 (222.9 +/- 163.4 pg/mL) and GM-CSF (1.6 +/- 2.7 pg/mL) were present in pre-ovulatory FF in ICSI patients. No significant difference in the mean concentration of IL-6, IL-8 and GM-CSF was found between the groups. Moreover, there was no correlation between these interleukin levels in FF and steroid hormone concentration in the peripheral blood.
Conclusions: Interleukin-6, IL-8 and GM-CSF were found in FF of patients undergoing ovarian hyperstimulation for ICSI treatment. The stimulation protocols showed no influence on these interleukin levels in FF. Moreover, no correlation was found between these investigated interleukins and steroid hormone concentrations in peripheral blood or ICSI outcome. Therefore, the determination of interleukin level in FF of patients undergoing ovarian hyperstimulation for ICSI therapy could not be recommended as a prognostic factor for ICSI outcome.