Is there a role for small molecule metabolite biomarkers in the development of a diagnostic test for endometriosis?

Abstract

Endometriosis is a disease defined by the presence of benign lesions of endometrial-like glands and stroma outside the endometrial cavity. Affecting an estimated 11.4% of Australian women, symptoms include chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and infertility. The current gold standard of diagnosis requires an expensive and invasive laparoscopic surgery, resulting in delayed time to treatment. The identification of a non-invasive endometriosis biomarker–a measurable factor correlating with disease presence or activity–has therefore become a priority in endometriosis research, although no biomarker has yet been validated. As small molecule metabolites and lipids have emerged as a potential focus,..