Growing evidence that endometriosis is a systemic disease.
Reprod Biomed Online
; 49(3): 104292, 2024 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38943810
ABSTRACT
The pathophysiology of endometriosis remains unclear. Retrograde menstruation could be a phenomenon that initiates the process, but it may not explain the entire pathophysiology of endometriosis. Current evidence suggests that endometriosis is a type of chronic inflammatory disease. Many conditions that affect the vascular endothelium, including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and pre-eclampsia, have been shown to be associated with endometriosis. Evidence to date suggests a complex interaction in endometriosis between angiogenesis, hormones and immunological changes stemming from chronic inflammation, with the inflammatory cells releasing cytokines and chemokines including tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Indeed, TNF-α is considered to be one of the possible markers of endometriosis in the blood, endometrium or menstrual blood. We emphasize the importance of pursuing research for novel and safer anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory drugs that can be used by patients with endometriosis on a long-term basis.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Endometriosis
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Reprod Biomed Online
Journal subject:
MEDICINA REPRODUTIVA
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Country of publication:
Países Bajos