An update on the biological markers of endometriosis

Razvan Socolov, Răzvan Socolov, Demetra Socolov, Allia Sindilar, Ioana Pavaleanu, Ioana Păvăleanu
Minerva ginecologica · 2017 · vol. 69(5) , pp. 462–467 · doi:10.23736/s0026-4784.17.04046-1 · PMID:28271701 · W2727484633
review OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 18 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This literature review analyzed recent studies on biological markers for endometriosis, finding CA 125 useful for suspicion and follow-up, while other markers show promise for differential diagnosis and understanding pathogeny.

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Endometriosis is a disease that affects 7-10% of reproductive-age women. When its diagnosis is delayed, its management becomes more difficult. Both for earlier detection and for therapeutic follow-up, discovering noninvasive biological markers with good specificity for this disease is a promising aspect of its research. We analyzed the recent data in the literature regarding these markers to determine which were worth following. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: This literature review focused on medical data reported in the last 6 years (2011-2016). After identifying articles in PubMed, an analysis of the type of data and level of evidence provided was performed. The selected articles were compared and conclusions regarding the specific markers addressed. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Of the 255 articles identified that reported human studies, we had access to the full text for 169 of them. We selected 71 prospective studies to include in our analysis. The studies were divided based on the primary marker studied: 22 analyzed inflammatory and immunological markers, 9 adhesivity and migration markers, 18 genetic polymorphisms, 7 oxidative stress, 4 micro-RNA circulating fragments, and 11 other biological markers (hormonal receptors, leukocytes, and others). CONCLUSIONS: CA 125 remains the most recommended marker for suspicion of endometriosis and follow-up. Other markers, such as CA 19-9, CA 72-4, and endometrial cells in peripheral blood, have more value for differentiating endometriosis from other pathologies, while circulating micro-RNA could help clarify the endometrial stem cell's implication in its pathogeny. Finally, other new urinary markers could be used in early diagnostic and screening strategies.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Biomarkers CA-125 Antigen Endometriosis Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate Biomarkers CA-125 Antigen CA-19-9 Antigen CA-19-9 Antigen Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans MicroRNAs MicroRNAs Oxidative Stress Polymorphism, Genetic Sensitivity and Specificity

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.

Cited by (18)

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europepmc
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openalex
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pubmed
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License: CC0 · commercial use OK