Menstrual effluent in endometriosis shows no difference in volume, VEGF-A, MMP2 and MMP9 or sFLT

Malik S, Shazia Malik, Day K, Kate Day, Perrault I, Isabelle Perrault, D. Stephen Charnock-jones, D. Stephen Charnock‐Jones, S. K. Smith, Smith SK, Stephen K Smith
Reproductive BioMedicine Online · 2006 · vol. 12(2) , pp. 174–181 · doi:10.1016/s1472-6483(10)60858-9 · PMID:16478582 · W2030701623
article OA: bronze CC0 ⤵ 13 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This study investigated menstrual effluent in women with and without endometriosis, finding no significant differences in volume or levels of VEGF-A, MMP2, MMP9, or sFLT.

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Abstract

Since retrograde menstruation is considered a key event in the aetiology of endometriosis, this study sought to determine whether the menstrual effluent of women with this condition is different from that of those with a normal pelvis. As the amount of blood lost during menstruation is thought to be higher in this group, measured objective menstrual blood loss (MBL) was measured. In addition, factors enhancing both ectopic implantation of endometrium and its subsequent growth (by establishing a neo-vasculature) were chosen for study. Our hypothesis was that they are increased in the menstrual effluent of women with endometriosis. The study showed that at the time of menstruation, there is no difference in MBL or in the volume of menstrual effluent between women with endometriosis and those with a normal pelvis at laparoscopy. In addition, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) message and protein, soluble truncated receptor sVEGF-R1 (sFLT), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and MMP9 activities were also shown to be similar between the two groups. It is concluded that the enhanced expression of VEGF-A and MMP in the peritoneal fluid and ectopic lesions of endometriotic patients may be a secondary event, resulting from an innate difference in peritoneal and systemic factors rather than in the endometrium, causing an abnormal peritoneal response to menstrual debris and facilitating its ectopic implantation.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 Menstruation Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 Adult Base Sequence Case-Control Studies DNA Primers Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 Middle Aged Polymerase Chain Reaction Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

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References (55)

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