Bacterial Infections May be the Culprit Behind Endometriosis

An animal study has found that endometriosis, a gynecological disorder could be due to a bacterial infection.

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue comparable to the uterine lining develops outside the uterus. It can cause significant pelvic discomfort and make pregnancy more difficult. It can affect one in 10 women. Endometriosis most commonly involves the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis () .

The reasons behind endometriosis were unclear until now, when researchers discovered that a bacterial infection could be behind the condition.

Targeting Fusobacterium for Endometriosis

Their findings, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, showed that using an antibiotic to target Fusobacterium reduced the formation of lesions associated with endometriosis ().

Endometriosis Treatment Lowers Risk of Ovarian Cancer
Surgical treatment for endometriosis was found to lower the risk of developing ovarian cancer, finds study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica.

‘Endometriosis, a gynecological disorder could be the result of a bacterial infection, according to experts. #endometriosis’

Although endometriosis can be treated using hormone therapy and surgical resection, these procedures sometimes lead to side effects, recurrence, and a significant impact on pregnancy.

The antibiotic treatment targeting the bacterium shows potential for easier diagnosis and treatment, and suggests an alternative treatment for this disorder, said researchers from the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine.

In mice studies, they found that the uterus of mice infected with Fusobacterium had more and heavier lesions.

Antibiotics May Help Treat Endometriosis

However, mice that had been given an antibiotic to eradicate Fusobacterium saw improved lesion formation.

Endometriosis or Adenomyosis: Decoding Period Pain
Understanding the differences between endometriosis and adenomyosis can help women get the right diagnosis and treatment for period pain.

The team's findings strongly suggest that targeting Fusobacterium is an effective non-hormonal antibiotic treatment for endometriosis.

"Eradication of this bacterium by antibiotic treatment could be an approach to treat endometriosis for women who are positive for fusobacterium infection, and such women could be easily identified by vaginal swab or uterus swab," said Yutaka Kondo.

Olive Leaf Extract Could be the Next Treatment for Endometriosis
In a recent animal study, it is seen that olive leaf extract could be an effective non- hormonal therapy for endometriosis.

The study also shows the benefit of looking at upstream events to determine causative agents.

The initial finding was that a protein called transgelin (TAGLN) was often upregulated in patients with endometriosis. This was unsurprising because the protein is associated with processes that are important in the development of endometriosis.

Quiz on Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition that results in pain associated with menstrual cycle, sexual activity. It is also one of the causes of infertility. Test your knowledge on endometriosis by taking this quiz.

However, this finding led the team to determine that transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) seemed to cause the upregulation of TAGLN.

Since TGF-beta is released by macrophages, the natural anti-inflammatory response and immune regulation cells of the body, this led them to conclude that these macrophages were being activated in response to Fusobacterium.

"In this study, we demonstrated that the Fusobacterium-TAGLN-endometriosis axis is frequently dysregulated in endometriosis," said Kondo.

"Our data provide a strong and novel rationale for targeting Fusobacterium as a non-hormonal antibiotic-based treatment for endometriosis."

Clinical trials of antibiotic treatment for human patients are ongoing at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Nagoya University Hospital.

References:

Endometriosis - (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/endometriosis)
Fusobacterium infection facilitates the development of endometriosis through the phenotypic transition of endometrial fibroblasts - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37315109/)

Source-IANS