Methodological concerns regarding levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in serum of patients with endometriosis.

Abstract

Received: 17 Aug 2013, Accepted: 9 Oct 2013 * Corresponding Address: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, San Martino Hospital and National Institute for Cancer Research, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy Email: ulrm@libero.it Royan Institute International Journal of Fertility and Sterility Vol 8, No 4, Jan-Mar 2015, Pages: 485-486 We read with interest the manuscript entitled Serum and peritoneal fluid levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in women with recently published in the International Journal of Fertility and Sterility (1). The authors measured the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in serum and peritoneal fluid of 179 women, 90 of whom were diagnosed with endometriosis, and observed that serum VEGF levels were similar in both study groups while women with endometriosis had higher levels of VEGF in peritoneal fluid compared with controls. Thus, the authors have concluded that endometriosis is not related to the change of VEGF level in circulation. We believe that the methodology used in the study was not adequate to establish levels of circulating VEGF at the time of sampling thus invalidating the results of the study.