Changes in serum cytokine concentrations during the menopausal transition

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to clarify the changes in serum concentrations of 17 cytokines in healthy women during the menopausal transition by using a multiplexed cytokine assay and to clarify the associations of these cytokines with serum estradiol concentration. Methods: Sixteen premenopausal, 54 perimenopausal and 52 postmenopausal women were enrolled in this study. Seventeen cytokines in serum samples were measured simultaneously using a Bio-Plex human cytokine 17-Plex assay. Results: Serum IL-6 concentration showed a weak positive correlation with age (r=0.196, p < 0.05). Postmenopausal women for whom less than 5 years had passed since menopause showed significant (p < 0.05) increase in serum concentrations of IL-2, GM-CSF and G-CSF, while serum IL-4 concentration was significantly (p < 0.05) increased in postmenopausal women for whom more than 5 years had passed since menopause. Serum estradiol concentration showed a significant negative correlation with serum IL-6 concentration and weak negative correlations with serum concentrations of IL-2, IL-8 and GM-CSF. Conclusion: We were able to simultaneously measure the levels of 17 cytokines using a highly sensitive cytokine assay, and we found that the changes in serum cytokine concentrations during the menopausal transition differed. We also found that serum IL-6 concentration during the menopausal transition was negatively correlated with serum estradiol concentration. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.