Thomas D'Hooghe

ObjectiveEpidemiological data indicate that endometriosis increases the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), but the mechanism of cancer transition is unknown. Results from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and transcriptome sequen…

BACKGROUND: An early semi-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis has the potential to allow early treatment and minimize disease progression but no such test is available at present. Our aim was to perform a combined mRNA microarray and proteo…

BACKGROUND: At present, the only way to conclusively diagnose endometriosis is laparoscopic inspection, preferably with histological confirmation. This contributes to the delay in the diagnosis of endometriosis which is 6-11 years. So far n…

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that differential surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry protein or peptide expression in plasma can be used in infertile women with or without pelvic pain to predict …

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to calculate costs and health-related quality of life of women with endometriosis-associated symptoms treated in referral centres. METHODS: A prospective, multi-centre, questionnaire-based survey measured costs …

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is associated with chronic subclinical inflammation. C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, could serve as a biomarker of endometriosis. We tested the hypothesis that a high sensitivity CRP assay (hsCR…

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic segmental bowel resection and reanastomosis for endometriosis with colorectal wall invasion can be associated with high complication rates. This study was performed to test the hypothesis that this high complication…

OBJECTIVE: To determine [1] expression levels of both DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and methyl-CpG-binding domain proteins (MBDs) in human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and in eutopic and ectopic endometrium of patients with e…

This study indicates that the immunobiology of macroscopically normal peritoneum is relevant to understand the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Peritoneal interleukin 6, interleukin 12, and ferritin were differentially expressed in women with…

ObjectiveTo assess the impact of endometriosis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and work productivity.DesignMulticenter cross-sectional study with prospective recruitment.SettingSixteen clinical centers in ten countries.Patient(s)A…

BACKGROUND: This study aims to quantify the non-health-care costs of endometriosis in a sample of Belgian patients over a 30-month period. METHODS: A longitudinal study enrolled patients who underwent surgical treatment for endometriosis in…

The role of sex steroid hormones in reproductive function in women is well established. However, in the last two decades it has been shown that receptors for estrogens, progesterone and androgens are expressed in non reproductive tissue /or…

BACKGROUND: Treatment of colorectal endometriosis is difficult and challenging. We reviewed the clinical outcome of surgical treatment of deeply infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) with colorectal involvement. METHODS: Review was based upon a…

This study investigates the association of rheumatoid arthritis-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms in endometriosis. We found an association of CCL21 (rs2812378) and HLA-DRB1 (rs660895) with moderate to severe endometriosis.

AIMS: The EndoCost study aims to calculate the costs of endometriosis from a societal perspective. METHODS: This multicentre, prevalence-based cost-of-illness analysis aggregates data on endometriosis costs and quality of life from a prospe…

Olfactomedin-4 (OLFM-4) is an extracellular matrix protein that is highly expressed in human endometrium. We have examined the regulation and function of OLFM-4 in normal endometrium and in cases of endometriosis and endometrial cancer. OLF…

A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted in a baboon model to determine if a thiazolidinedione agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, pioglitazone, can impede the development of endometriosis. …

Introduction: Endometriosis, defined as the growth of endometrial tissue outside \nthe uterine cavity is a common gynaecological disorder affecting 10-15% \nof women in their reproductive years. It is a major clinical problem causing in- \n…

BACKGROUND: According to mRNA microarray, proteomics and other studies, biological abnormalities of eutopic endometrium (EM) are involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, but the relationship between mRNA and protein expression in EM i…

In response to the pressing need for more efficacious and safer therapeutics for endometriosis, there have been numerous reports in the last decade of positive results from animal and in vitro studies of various compounds as potential thera…

Context: substantial evidence suggests that the expression of steroid metabolizing enzymes in endometriosis is altered, turning the ectopic endometrium into a source of 17β-estradiol. However, whether these differences result in a net incre…

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of lower limb compartment syndrome (LLCS) during long duration laparoscopic interventions for resection of extensive endometriosis, and evaluate the efficiency of a novel patient positioning method to reduce its …

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate clinical outcome after multidisciplinary laparoscopic excision of deep endometriosis. Patients (n = 56) were asked to complete questionnaires regarding quality of life (QOL), pain, …