The Role of Interleukin-18 in Serum and Follicular Fluid during In Vitro Fertilization and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Figure 2

(a) and (b) IL-18 levels in serum (a) and follicular fluid (FF) (b), depending on whether IVF or ICSI was performed. The -axis shows the performed reproductive method (IVF versus ICSI) and the -axis shows the IL-18 concentration (pg/mL) in serum (a) and in follicular fluid (b). Women undergoing IVF treatment had lower IL-18 levels in serum (median, 151.19 (90.73) pg/mL) than those treated with ICSI (median, 163.57 (89.97) pg/mL). These differences were not statistically significant according to the Mann–Whitney test (). IL-18 levels in follicular fluid were also lower after IVF treatment (median, 152.09 (78.51)) than they were after ICSI (median 154.12 (84.18) pg/mL); the differences were also not significant according to the Mann–Whitney test ().

(a)

(b)