Noninvasive diagnosis of endometriosis based on clinical risk factors and plasma proteomics/microRNA analysis.

Endometriosis is a condition defined by the presence of tissue lining the inner side of the uterus (endometrium) is found outside the uterus, mostly in the pelvic cavity (uterus, ovaries, pelvic sidewall, bowel, bladder) and presents as superficial, deep or cystic disease. It affects 1 in 10 women during their reproductive years. The most common symptoms of endometriosis are pelvic pain (painful menstruation, painful sexual intercourse...) & infertility. Between 30-50% of women with pelvic pain or infertility have endometriosis. The diagnostic delay between onset of symptoms & diagnosis of endometriosis is 8-11 years, because pain symptoms are often underestimated and endometriosis can only be diagnosed during surgery (laparoscopy) combined with a biopsy of the endometriosis lesions to confirm the disease. Clearly, there is a need for a non-invasive test for endometriosis in symptomatic patients with pelvic pain &/or subfertility but without ovarian endometriotic cysts that can be diagnosed by ultrasound. Our aim is to develop this test based on clinical risk factors (short cycles, painful and heavy menstrual bleeding, pinpoint cervix) combined with proteomic and microRNA analysis of peripheral blood to discover & identify new proteins/peptides & new regulatory molecules controlling gene expression.