ABSTRACT
Objective To discuss the relationship between TCM syndromes and peritoneal fluid cytokine IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α of endometriosis infertility patients, and provide thoughts for clinical treatment. Methods Totally 105 patients of endometriosis infertility were differentiated to six syndrome groups, including kidney deficiency and blood stasis, qi stagnation and blood stasis, heat stagnation and blood stasis, cold congelation and blood stasis, qi deficiency and blood stasis, phlegm-dampness stagnation. Thirty patients of non-endometriosis infertility were selected as control group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect cytokine levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α. Results In 105 cases of EM infertility, 35 cases (33.33%) were syndrome of kidney deficiency and blood stasis, 22 cases (20.95%) were syndrome of cold congelation and blood stasis, 18 cases (17.14%) were syndrome of qi stagnation and blood stasis, 10 cases (9.52%) were syndrome of heat stagnation and blood stasis, 11 cases (10.48%) were syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis, 9 cases (8.57%) were phlegm-dampness stagnation syndrome. The levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-αin each syndrome group of EM infertility were higher than control group (P<0.01). IL-6 level in kidney deficiency and blood stasis group were higher than other syndrome groups (P<0.05). The levels of IL-8 and TNF-α in kidney deficiency and blood stasis group, and heat stagnation and blood stasis group were higher than other syndrome groups (P<0.05). IL-8 in kidney deficiency and blood stasis group was higher than that in heat stagnation and blood stasis group (P<0.05). Conclusion TCM syndromes in patients with endometriosis infertility have some relevance with peritoneal fluid cytokine levels of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, which may guide clinical understanding and treatment of endometriosis infertility.