Total antioxidant status and nitric oxide do not increase in peritoneal fluids from women with endometriosis

To explore the role of nitric oxide (NO) and oxidative stress in thepathogenesis of adhesion formation and in endometriosis-associatedinfertility, we examined the peritoneal total antioxidant status (TAS) andthe concentrations of products of NO metabolism in women with endometriosis(early stage, n = 12; advanced stage, n = 12) and in fertile women withoutendometriosis (n = 10). Peritoneal CA 125 and oestrogen and progesteroneconcentrations were also measured to examine their contributions to TAS andthe production of NO. We failed to demonstrate any significant differencein TAS and in the products of NO metabolism in peritoneal fluids amongwomen with early and advanced stages of endometriosis compared with fertilewomen without endometriosis during the early follicular phase. TAS and theconcentration of the products of NO metabolism were not related toconcentrations of CA 125, oestrogen or progesterone. The concentration ofCA 125 in serum, but not in peritoneal fluid, was positively correlatedwith the severity of endometriosis. The volume of peritoneal fluid and theprogesterone concentration were significantly increased in the group withadvanced endometriosis. TAS and the concentration of the products of NOmetabolism did not increase in peritoneal fluids from women withendometriosis during the early follicular phase. Their role in thepathophysiology of endometriosis needs to be explored further.