Current biomarkers for the detection of endometriosis

• Main Authors: Zhao Tian, Xiao-Hong Chang, Yan Zhao, Hong-Lan Zhu, Qiang Shi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer 2020-10-01
• Series: Chinese Medical Journal
• Online Access: http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/CM9.0000000000001063

Abstract. A clinically reliable non-invasive test for endometriosis is expected to reduce the diagnostic delay. Although varieties of biomarkers have been investigated for decades, and cancer antigen-125, cancer antigen-199, interleukin-6, and urocortin were the most studied ones among hundreds of biomarkers, no clinically reliable biomarkers have been confirmed so far. Some emerging technologies including “omics” technologies, molecular imaging techniques, and microRNAs are promising in solving these challenges, but their utility to detect endometriosis has yet to be verified. New combinations of researched indicators or other non-invasive methods and further exploration of the emerging technologies may be new targets and future research hotspots for non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis. In conclusion, researches of biomarkers for the detection of endometriosis are still ongoing and may benefit from novel molecular biology, bioinformatics methods and a combination of more diverse monitoring methods. Though it will be a daunting task, the identification of a specific set of diagnostic biomarkers will undoubtedly improve the status of endometriosis.