Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the levels of two oxidative stress (OS) markers including lipid peroxide (LPO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in both serum and follicular fluid (FF) of women with endometriosis after puncture.
Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total number of sixty-three women younger than 40 years old with laparoscopy (gold standard for endometriosis diagnosis) indication underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) program in the Royan Institute, Tehran, Iran from September 2013 to October 2014. About forty-three patients were diagnosed with endometriosis after laparoscopy. Blood and FF from the leading follicle in each stimulated ovary were obtained at the time of egg retrieval; samples were centrifuged and frozen until assessment. At the time of sample assessment, serum and FF samples were evaluated for the levels of LPO and TAC on spectrophotometery.
Results: We observed that women with endometriosis had significantly higher LPO and lower TAC levels in the serum and FF as compared with the control group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: It has observed that FF of women with endometriosis, regardless of disease stage, increases the proliferation power of endometrial cells in vitro, we presume that inflammatory reactions-induced OS in ovary may be responsible for proliferation induction ability in FF obtained from women with endometriosis.
Keywords: Endometriosis; Follicular Fluid; Lipid Peroxide; Oxidative Stress.