Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) produced by endometriotic tissues.
Methods: Expressions of MCP-1 mRNA and MCP-1 protein were determined by dot blot analysis, immunohistochemical method [streptavidin biotin-peroxidase complex (SABC)] and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods in cultured endometriotic cells with median (controls) or with interleukin-1 beta(IL-1 beta) 2 ng/ml (IL-1 beta group), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha) 20 mg/ml(TNF-alpha group) respectively. The endometriotic tissues were sourced from 15 patients with endometriosis. Meanwhile, the MCP-1 protein content of cultured supernatent was also measured.
Results: After exposured to IL-1 beta or TNF-alpha, the expression of MCP-1 mRNA and MEP-1 protein in the endometriotic cells were significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05 respectively); so was the MCP-1 protein content of supernatent.
Conclusions: IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha can up-regulate the expression of MCP-1 in endometriotic cells, which may be related to the development of endometriosis.