Interleukin-8 stimulates the adhesion of endometrial stromal cells to fibronectin

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and mouse anti-human IL-8 monoclonal antibody on endometrial stromal cell adhesion to fibronectin. DESIGN: Prospective, controlled in vitro study. SETTING: Academic research laboratory. PATIENT(S): Women undergoing benign gynecologic surgery for indications other than endometrial disease. INTERVENTION(S): Endometrial stromal cells were treated with IL-8 and mouse anti-human IL-8 monoclonal antibody at different concentrations and adhesion assays were performed by labeling the cells with calcein. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Fluorescence in calcein-labeled endometrial stromal cells. RESULT(S): IL-8 induced a concentration-dependent increase of cell adhesion to fibronectin matrix (twofold at 10 ng/mL; P = .006). Treatment of endometrial stromal cells with anti-IL-8 neutralizing antibody inhibited partially the cell adhesion. CONCLUSION(S): IL-8 stimulates the adhesion of endometrial stromal cells to fibronectin in a concentration-dependent manner. IL-8 may thus be relevant for the attachment of endometrial implants in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.