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Background/Aims: To evaluate serum prolactin and CA-125 levels as biomarkers for the diagnosis of peritoneal endometriosis. Methods: A prospective study was performed. Blood samples were drawn from a peripheral vein during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle (day 19-21 prior to the surgery) to analyze through relative operating characteristic curve the serum prolactin and CA-125 levels for diagnosis of peritoneal endometriosis. The study wasperformed with 97 participants, 63 women with peritoneal endometriosis and 34 healthy women. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of peritoneal endometriosis diagnosis were equivalent for prolactin (21 and 99%) and for CA-125 (27 and 97%; p = 0.58). These two markers were used in a parallel test utilizing the usual cutoff (prolactin 20.0 ng/ml and CA-125 35 U/I). The sensitivity and specificity were 44 and 99%. However, by utilizing the best cutoff (prolactin 14.8 ng/ml and for CA-125 19.8 U/I), sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value were 77, 88 and 97%, respectively. Conclusion: Serum CA-125 and prolactin levels assessed together, and considering the cutoff for CA-125 (19.9 U/I) and prolactin (14.8 ng/ml), allow the diagnosis of peritoneal endometriosis with acceptable sensitivity and specificity (77 and 88%) and a high negative predictive value (97%).

This cross-sectional prospective study assessed follicular-fluid anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations in infertile patients with mild/minimal endometriosis during natural IVF. Thirty-two women participated in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: tubal obstruction without endometriosis (control group) and minimal/mild endometriosis (study group). All patients underwent laparoscopy for assessment of infertility; at the same time, any foci of endometriosis found were cauterized. AMH concentration was measured in the follicular fluid of a single follicle when it achieved pre-ovulatory maturation by ultrasensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Likewise, AMH, FSH and inhibin B content in serum was also measured. Age (30 ± 1.3 and 32 ± 0.8 years) and body mass index (22 ± 0.6 and 22 ± 0.5 kg/m(2)), day-3 antral follicle count (11.3 ± 1.7 and 10.7 ± 1.5), serum FSH concentrations (5.4 ± 0.6 and 5.0 ± 0.3 IU/ml) and follicular-fluid AMH concentrations (1.8 ± 0.3 and 1.5 ± 0.1 ng/ml, study and control group, respectively; mean difference 0.33, 95% CI -0.21 to 0.88) were similar in both groups. This study shows that infertile patients with minimal/mild endometriosis have a similar concentration of AMH in the follicular fluid after natural IVF as compared with control subjects.

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