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In the genital tract, tight regulation of immunity is essential in order to block pathogen invasion and prevent injury to bystander cells. Regulation is accomplished by the secretion of cytokines that either stimulate, down regulate or direct the immune response toward either antibody production or cytotoxic cell development. The purpose of our work was to define normal concentrations of cytokines in healthy ovulating women and in oral contraceptive users throughout their menstrual cycle. To accomplish this goal, 9 women with day 21 P4 concentrations > 730 nM and 4 women using Ortho-cept T M OCPs for a minimum of 2 months were recruited. In addition, 3 of the women from the ovulating group began OCPs at the completion of one cycle and joined the OCP regulated group. Each subject was monitored daily preovulatory (premid-cycle) starting at day 9 and every other day postovualtory (postmid-cycle) until menstruation. Serum levels of circulating E2 and P4 were measured in all women throughout their ovulatory or oral contraceptive controlled cycle. Measurements of IL-2, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5, GM-CSF, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12 were determined by ELISA from cervical secretions collected using the weck-cel sponge method. In these healthy women, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-5 concentrations were below the levels of assay detection (2.0 pg/ml - 20 ng/ml). The concentrations detected for GM-CSF, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12 were highly variable throughout the cycle (see representative data in Table 1). A clear cyclic pattern of concentration changes was observed only for IL-6 with the lowest concentrations occurring at ovulation. The …