Abstract
Objective: To look for evidence of a fibrinolytic insufficiency as a cause of adhesion formation.
Design: Retrospective and prospective study.
Setting: University medical center.
Patient(s): Retrospective study: 50 patients undergoing laparoscopy, divided into patients with and without endometriosis. Prospective study: 18 patients undergoing infertility surgery involving a second look laparoscopy.
Intervention(s): During all surgical procedures, adhesions were scored, and peritoneal fluid and plasma were collected.
Main Outcome Measure(s): Parameters of the fibrinolytic system were measured to establish a possible relation with the presence and formation of adhesions.
Result(s): In patients with endometriosis and adhesions, significantly higher peritoneal fluid concentrations were found for plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and plasminogen, compared with patients with endometriosis but without adhesions. In the prospective study, initial peritoneal PAI-1 concentrations correlated significantly with the extent of adhesion formation (r(s) = 0.49) and adhesion-improvement scores (r(s) = -0.52). Also, the change in concentration of tPA and fibrinogen from the initial surgical procedure to the second-look laparoscopy correlated significantly with adhesion-improvement scores (DeltatPA: r(s) = 0.50; Deltafibrinogen: r(s) = -0.64).
Conclusion(s): This first prospective study in humans adds further weight to the hypothesis that adhesions are caused by an insufficiency in peritoneal fibrinolytic activity. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 is a potential marker for the identification of patients at risk for developing adhesions. (C)2005 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 122-129 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Fertility and Sterility |
Volume | 83 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2005 |
Keywords
- adhesion formation
- endometriosis
- infertility surgery
- early second-look laparoscopy
- fibrinolytic system
- ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR TYPE-1
- PERITONEAL-FLUID
- ENDOMETRIOSIS
- SURGERY
- DISEASE
- TRAUMA