Sarah J. Holdsworth‐Carson

ORCID: 0000-0002-3533-0486 · 51 papers in corpus
meta-analysis 2026
European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology ·doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2026.115094

PURPOSE: Endometriosis and adenomyosis are both characterised by ectopic endometrial-like tissue growing outside the endometrium of the uterus, however, they are ultimately distinct diseases with different pathophysiological mechanisms. End…

other 2026
BMJ open ·doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114124

INTRODUCTION: Endometriosis is associated with reduced pregnancy and live birth rates in patients attempting both spontaneous and assisted conception. At present, it is unclear whether prepregnancy surgery for moderate or severe endometrios…

other 2026
Human reproduction (Oxford, England) ·doi:10.1093/humrep/deag025

STUDY QUESTION: Does endometrial gene expression change across consecutive cycles and after endometrial injury? SUMMARY ANSWER: Although paired endometrial samples collected from the same woman across two consecutive cycles show greater si…

diagnostic-accuracy 2025
Human Reproduction ·doi:10.1093/humrep/deae278

STUDY QUESTION: Can a panel of plasma protein biomarkers be identified to accurately and specifically diagnose endometriosis? SUMMARY ANSWER: A novel panel of 10 plasma protein biomarkers was identified and validated, demonstrating strong …

other 2025
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface ·doi:10.1098/rsif.2025.0076

The immune system is hypothesized to contribute to the onset of endometriosis lesions. However, the precise mechanisms underlying its role are not yet known. We introduce a novel compartmental model that describes the interactions between i…

other 2025
·doi:10.1101/2025.01.20.633967

Abstract The immune system is hypothesised to contribute to the onset of endometriosis lesions. However, the precise mechanisms underlying its role are not yet known. We introduce a novel compartmental model that describes the interactions …

observational 2024
Reproductive BioMedicine Online ·doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.103610

RESEARCH QUESTION: Do different subtypes of superficial peritoneal endometriotic lesions exist, based on the presence and morphology of smooth muscle, collagen fibres and immune cell populations? DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study of 24 …

meta-analysis 2024
European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology ·doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2024.06.017

Despite the profound impact of endometriosis worldwide, delays in diagnosis and suboptimal surveillance techniques are well-recognised issues. Case studies have reported incidental uptake of 18F-FDG PET tracer in endometriotic lesions. Howe…

observational 2024
BMC medicine ·doi:10.1186/s12916-024-03508-7

BACKGROUND: Despite surgical and pharmacological interventions, endometriosis can recur. Reliable information regarding risk of recurrence following a first diagnosis is scant. The aim of this study was to examine clinical and survey data i…

other 2024
Journal of endometriosis and uterine disorders ·doi:10.1016/j.jeud.2024.100086

Endometriosis is a chronic, systemic condition that predominates across the reproductive lifespan of individuals. People with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain require treatment and long-term management from a range of specialists outsi…

meta-analysis 2024
European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology ·doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2023.12.010

OBJECTIVE: Endometriosis is associated with a range of symptoms that can negatively impact a person's quality of life. While pain and infertility have received at lot of attention, sleep disturbances in individuals with endometriosis has be…

other 2023
Nature communications ·doi:10.1038/s41467-023-41979-z

Natural variability in menstrual cycle length, coupled with rapid changes in endometrial gene expression, makes it difficult to accurately define and compare different stages of the endometrial cycle. Here we develop and validate a method f…

review 2023
Molecular human reproduction ·doi:10.1093/molehr/gaad012

This review leads the 2023 Call for Papers in MHR: 'Cyclical function of the female reproductive tract' and will outline the complex and fascinating changes that take place in the reproductive tract during the menstrual cycle. We will also …

meta-analysis 2023
The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology ·doi:10.1111/ajo.13755

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory condition characterised by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity. Given the multi-system nature of the disease and the potential for significant negative impa…

observational 2023
Reproductive BioMedicine Online ·doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.103409

RESEARCH QUESTION: Is the expression of steroid hormone receptors (oestrogen receptor-α and progesterone receptor A/B) and proliferative markers (Bcl-2 and Ki67) uniform among superficial peritoneal endometriotic lesions? DESIGN: A retrosp…

meta-analysis 2023
Fertility and sterility ·doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.12.017

Endometriosis affects 1 in 9 women, taking 6.4 years to diagnose using conventional laparoscopy. Non-invasive imaging enables timelier diagnosis, reducing diagnostic delay, risk and expense of surgery. This review updates literature explori…

meta-analysis 2023
Nature genetics ·doi:10.1038/s41588-023-01323-z

Endometriosis is a common condition associated with debilitating pelvic pain and infertility. A genome-wide association study meta-analysis, including 60,674 cases and 701,926 controls of European and East Asian descent, identified 42 genom…

lab-animal 2023
Biomolecules ·doi:10.3390/biom13060965

Endometriosis, defined as the growth of hormonally responsive endometrial-like tissue outside of the uterine cavity, is an estrogen-dependent, chronic, pro-inflammatory disease that affects up to 11.4% of women of reproductive age and gende…

2022
·doi:10.1142/s2661318222740966

Background: Endometriosis is an under-recognised and often misdiagnosed chronic disease that affects one in ten women. It occurs when cells similar to those that line a uterus grow in other parts of the body, usually around the pelvis. The …

other 2022
Frontiers in reproductive health ·doi:10.3389/frph.2022.875277

Women with endometriosis suffer lengthy diagnostic delay. In part, this is the consequence of nonspecific and overlapping symptomology with common gynaecological and other diseases. As such, endometriosis may be confused or misdiagnosed as …

lab-animal 2022
Scientific reports ·doi:10.1038/s41598-022-13488-4

Endocannabinoids mediate cellular functions and their activity is controlled by a complex system of enzymes, membrane receptors and transport molecules. Endocannabinoids are present in endometrium, a cyclical regenerative tissue requiring t…

review 2022
Systems biology in reproductive medicine ·doi:10.1080/19396368.2022.2027045

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 …

meta-analysis 2022
·doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.19493161

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 …

observational 2021
Reproductive BioMedicine Online ·doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2021.07.007

RESEARCH QUESTION: Is there a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and endometriotic lesions, specifically surgical phenotype and lesion location? DESIGN: An observational retrospective cohort study at the Royal Women's Hospital, Mel…

review 2021
Human Reproduction ·doi:10.1093/humrep/deab208

Endometriosis is a heterogeneous disease in terms of patient symptoms, treatment responsiveness and the presentation of endometriotic lesions. This article explores the histological features of endometriotic lesions, highlighting their some…