Anna Tani,1 Toshiyuki Yasui,2 Sumika Matsui,1 Takeshi Kato,1 Naoko Tsuchiya,3 Mitsutoshi Yuzurihara,3 Yoshio Kase,3 Minoru Irahara11Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2Department of Reproductive Technology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan; 3Pharmacology Research Department, Tsumura Central Research Institute, Ibaraki, JapanPurpose: The aim of the study reported here was to determine the effect of surgical menopause by bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) on circulating levels of cytokines and chemokines related to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.Patients and methods: A total of 110 women were recruited for this study from the outpatient clinic of our facility. We divided the women into three groups: 1) women with a regular menstrual cycle, 2) women in whom less than 5 years had passed since their BSO, and 3) women in whom 5 years or more had passed since their BSO. Concentrations of nine cytokines and chemokines in serum were measured.Results: The serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) level in women in whom less than 5 years had passed since their BSO was significantly higher than in women with a regular menstrual cycle (P