The genetic basis of endometriosis

Krina T. Zondervan, K T Zondervan, Cardon LR, Lon R. Cardon, L. R. Cardon, Stephen Kennedy, Kennedy SH, S H Kennedy
Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology · 2001 · vol. 13(3) , pp. 309–314 · doi:10.1097/00001703-200106000-00011 · PMID:11396656 · W2081922436
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⚙ AI-generated summary by gemini-2.5-flash-lite, 2026-06-06 ⓘ

This paper reviews evidence for genetic factors in endometriosis, highlighting potential gene candidates like GSTM1 and NAT2 while noting limitations in study design and the need for better phenotype definition.

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⚙ AI-generated deep summary by qwen3.7-flash, 2026-08-17 · read from full text ⓘ

This review examines the genetic underpinnings of endometriosis, highlighting the interplay between hereditary factors and environmental influences such as retrograde menstruation and exposure to toxic compounds. It evaluates previous association studies involving genes like GALT, GSTM1, and NAT2, noting that while evidence for GSTM1 and NAT2 has strengthened, support for GALT has weakened. The authors emphasize that many prior studies suffered from inadequate sample sizes, inconsistent phenotype definitions, and poor control population choices, which likely contributed to conflicting results. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — specifically focusing on the genetic susceptibility and methodological challenges in defining its aetiology.

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Abstract

Family studies have long suggested a role for genetic factors in the aetiology of endometriosis. The influence of genes on disease development has mainly been researched independently of environmental factors, yet their interaction must play an important role. Greater exposure to retrograde menstruation and oestrogen is likely to increase the risk of endometriosis; toxic compounds such as dioxin may increase the risk, although the only direct evidence has come from primate studies. Previous association studies implicated GALT (a gene involved in galactose metabolism), and GSTM1 and NAT2 (genes encoding for the detoxification enzymes) as possible disease susceptibility genes. Recent findings have added to the evidence for the involvement of GSTM1 and NAT2, but have cast doubt on the role of GALT. However, the design of many genetic and epidemiological studies has been inadequate with respect to sample size, consistency in phenotype definition, and the choice of control populations. These features are likely to influence results, and could partly explain the lack of consistency in the findings. Future studies should use a consistent disease definition and be of appropriate epidemiological design.
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The genetic basis of endometriosis - Krina T. Zondervan - Lon R. Cardon - Stephen H. Kennedy Family studies have long suggested a role for genetic factors in the aetiology of endometriosis. The influence of genes on disease development has mainly been researched independently of environmental factors, yet their interaction must play an important role. Greater exposure to retrograde menstruation and oestrogen is likely to increase the risk of endometriosis; toxic compounds such as dioxin may increase the risk, although the only direct evidence has come from primate studies. Previous association studies implicated GALT (a gene involved in galactose metabolism), and GSTM1 and NAT2 (genes encoding for the detoxification enzymes) as possible disease susceptibility genes. Recent findings have added to the evidence for the involvement of GSTM1 and NAT2, but have cast doubt on the role of GALT. However, the design of many genetic and epidemiological studies has been inadequate with respect to sample size, consistency in phenotype definition, and the choice of control populations. These features are likely to influence results, and could partly explain the lack of consistency in the findings. Future studies should use a consistent disease definition and be of appropriate epidemiological design.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Risk Factors

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (51)

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