IMMUNOACTIVE INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA AND TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA IN THECAL, STROMAL AND GRANULOSA-CELL CULTURES FROM NORMAL AND POLYCYSTIC OVARIES

Previous studies of follicular fluid from stimulated human ovaries hav e shown detectable amounts of immunoactive interleukin-l (IL-1) and tu mour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF). Other reports have shown the presenc e of IL-1 receptors, mRNA and antagonists for IL-1 in the human ovary. The aim of this study was to measure IL-1 and TNF concentrations in f ollicular fluid from unstimulated normal or polycystic ovaries (PCO) a s well as concentrations in media conditioned by granulosa cells or th ecal or stromal tissue. TNF concentrations were easily detected in fol licular fluid (77 fmol/ml, range 20-95) and concentrations in PCO were similar to those in normal ovaries (70 versus 82 fmol/ml). TNF was vi rtually undetectable in all tissue culture media. IL-1 concentrations in all culture media were readily detected but showed no differences b etween different tissues or between PCO and normal ovaries. It was con cluded that human ovaries readily produce immunoactive IL-1 in culture but produce less TNF despite detectable amounts of TNF in follicular fluid. There appears to be no difference between PCO and normal ovarie s with respect to IL-1 and TNF.