Endometriosis Testing In Minutes, Not Years

Endometriosis affects a lot of people, with common figures being cited as 1 in 7 women, or 1 in 10 women.

Whatever the true prevalence, one thing is for certain: it sure is prevalent.

And yet, the typical time it takes it get a diagnosis is around 9 years on average, with a range of 4–11 years, per Dr. Krina Zondervan et al., 2018 (learn more).

To make matters worse current tests include ultrasound scans, MRI or a laparoscopy, this latter being where a camera is inserted surgically. None of these are fun, and they’re not usually easy to access, either.

The many problems with the diagnostic process have led to such happenings as: Woman had two organs removed before doctors discovered endometriosis

See also: Is surgery necessary for my endometriosis or suspected endo?

So, what’s new?

Multi-omics to the rescue

By looking at various biomarkers, it’s possible to diagnose diseases much more quickly and easily.

Two such methods have recently been identified as very useful for diagnosing endometriosis.

In one case, a starting point for understanding is is in the blood:

❝Multi-omics profiling revealed coordinated immunometabolic alterations associated with EM, characterized by interconnected inflammatory and metabolic alterations in peripheral blood. These findings provide evidence that systemic immune-metabolic dysregulation is associated with EM and support further evaluation of blood-based biomarker strategies for non-invasive detection❞

Read in full: Multi-omics profiling identifies an immunometabolic signature associated with endometriosis

However, as it turns out, saliva can give us a more conclusive answer:

❝Here, we characterized the molecular and functional landscape of EM-derived sEVs across disease stages and biological sources. sEVs isolated from eutopic endometrium, ectopic lesions, peritoneal fluid, and plasma from mild- and severe-stage EM patients and healthy controls were analyzed by surface marker profiling, proteomics, lipidomics, and integrated multi-omics, with functional effects assessed in human uterine microvascular endothelial cells. sEV composition varied by disease stage and sample type, with EM lesion-derived sEVs demonstrating stage-dependent loss of epithelial-associated markers and enrichment of immune-associated signatures, while EM plasma-derived sEVs exhibited altered adhesion- and platelet-associated profiles.❞

Read in full: Endometriosis patient-derived small extracellular vesicles carry unique immune, proteomic and lipidomic signatures associated with mild and severe endometriosis

Another method relies on an electroviscerogram (electrical scan of the viscera) using electrodes placed externally, and, in very few words:

❝EVG with GIMA biomarker detection distinguished participants with and without endometriosis based upon endometriosis-specific GIMA biomarkers threshold scoring.❞

In more words (i.e., the paper in full): Gastrointestinal Myoelectrical Activity (GIMA) Biomarker for Noninvasive Diagnosis of Endometriosis

That’s a lot of science, but what does this mean in practical terms?

Sometimes we give science for something new and promising and say “we hope to see this available soon”; in this case, this science has been from the past few years, and the tests are now available.

Perhaps a good indicator is which tests the famously thrifty-and-evidenced-based NHS offers in the UK, since there is no profit motive to sell expensive tests, and things are only done if the evidence shows they reduced disease burden and increase health-related quality of life.

With that in mind, it’s the latter two of the three tests we mentioned. In other words, the saliva test and the electrodes test:

❝With Endotest, women give a saliva sample, which is sent off to a lab to check for tiny biological markers called microRNAs. This indicates the presence of endometriosis. The lab result is returned to the GP or another healthcare professional to inform the next steps in diagnosis and care.

EndoSure can detect the condition by measuring electrical signals in the gut using sensor pads on the abdomen. Women fast for six to eight hours beforehand, and during the 45-minute test are asked to drink water until full, helping the device record gut activity accurately. Results are available as soon as the test is complete.

A third test, DotEndo, needed more research before it could get the green light, NICE said.❞

NICE = National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Source: Rapid endometriosis tests to be made available on NHS in England and Wales

But I’m not in England and Wales!

Indeed, most of our readers are in N. America.

However, now you know what tests to enquire after!