Overexpression of IL-18 in the Proliferative Phase Endometrium of Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) exhibit low implantation rate and high abortion rate. To explore the effect of low-grade chronic inflammation on endometrium of women with PCOS, we investigated the expression of interleukin 18 (IL-18) in the endometrium of 23 women with PCOS and 20 healthy women. Endometrial tissue samples were obtained during hysteroscopic surgery. We found that IL-18 was significantly increased in the endometrium of women with PCOS compared with normal groups. In overweight women, IL-18 was obviously overexpressed in the PCOS group compared to the healthy group. However, in normal-weight women, there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups, and there was no significant difference in IL-18 expression in patients having PCOS with or without insulin resistance. We conclude that IL-18 protein and messenger RNA levels are increased in the endometrium of patients with PCOS, and this effect is correlated with body mass index.