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The following is a summary of “Metabolomic biomarkers of endometriosis: A systematic review,” published in the September 2024 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology by Adamyan et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to identify potential metabolomic biomarkers of endometriosis in plasma, serum, peritoneal fluid, follicular fluid, urine, and endometrial tissue samples of patients with endometriosis.   

They performed a search in electronic databases, including PubMed, The Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, Embase, MEDLINE, and Web of Science. Randomized controlled trials, observational studies, cohort studies, and case-control studies were included, which compared metabolomic profiles in women with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis and those with laparoscopically confirmed absence of endometriosis. A total of 17 studies (n = 17) were included in the qualitative synthesis.  

The results showed that potential metabolomic biomarkers for diagnosing endometriosis included amino acids such as threonic acid and 3-hydroxybutyric acid, as well as succinate, citrate, lactate, acetone, 3-hydroxybutyrate, acylcarnitines, and sphingomyelins. Alterations in metabolite levels indicated disruptions in metabolic pathways associated with the disease.  

Investigators concluded the identified potential metabolomic biomarkers for endometriosis diagnosis and the controversy in the published data highlighted the need for further research to clarify the specific metabolites and the diagnostic role. 

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949838424000197