Objective:To investigate the relationship between the level of soluble Fas antigen(sfas) and soluble Fas ligand(sFasL) and endometriosis associated infertility.Methods:The sfas and sFasL level in sera and peritoneal fluid of infertile women with endometriosis were assessed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

and were compared with those of 14 infertile women resulting from chronic pelvic infectious disease and 16 fertile controls.Results:The sFasL levels(175.09±80.50pg/ml in sera and 284.50±152.38pg/ml in peritoneal fluid) were significantly higher in infertile patients with endometriosis than those of infertile controls(88.47±43.55pg/ml in sera and 17.30±9.62pg/ml in peritoneal fluid) and fertile controls(16.13±11.75pg/ml in sera and 8.84±2.31pg/ml in peritoneal fluid).Compared with the levels of sfas in infertile women resulting from pelvic infectious disease(868.75±570.48pg/ml in sera and 181.76±157.78pg/ml in peritoneal fluid) and fertile control group(822.26±129.12pg/ml in sera and 318.42±145.16pg/ml in peritoneal fluid)

the values of sfas in infertile patients with endometriosis(828.60±429.65pg/ml in sera and 349.6±288.89pg/ml in peritoneal fluid) have no significant difference.Conclusion:Endometriosis-related infertility has great association with the level of sFasL

and sFasL may play a key role in the local homeostatic regulation in endometriosis and in turn result in the development of its associated infertility.