Scientists have discovered that bacteria that can be found in the typical human gut and oral flora could play a significant role in endometriosis development. This could shed light on how the painful condition develops and how it could be treated.
Common Gut Bacteria's Role in Endometriosis
According to Science Alert, researchers from Nagoya University and other Japanese institutions examined tissue samples taken from 79 women who had endometriosis and 76 women who were healthy. Their analysis revealed strong correlations between the condition and Fusobacterium.
The researchers write in the study that in the cohort of women, 64% of endometriosis patients and less than 10% of the healthy control group were found to have Fusobacterium within the endometrium. This was detailed further in the Science Translational Medicine journal.
This means that almost two-thirds of women battling endometriosis had Fusobacterium, while only one in 10 healthy women had it, the researchers note in a statement.
According to Live Science, Fusobacterium is a bacterial genus that may lead to gum conditions and other mouth and gut illnesses. Yukata Kondo, a cancer biologist at the Graduate School of Medicine of Nagoya University and a co-author of the study, explains that in the past, nobody thought that endometriosis originated from a bacterial infection. Hence, this makes the new findings truly novel.
To demonstrate that the bacteria was indeed the culprit, the researchers infected mouse models with the said bacteria. They then looked into the uterine lining of these models. The researchers observed that the mice had lesions linked to endometriosis. When the mice were administered antibiotics, the researchers observed that lesion formation improved, as these lesions became smaller and fewer.
Kondo explains that eradicating this bacteria via antibiotics is a possible approach for treating endometriosis among women who have the bacterial infection. Such women can also be easily identified through uterine or vaginal swabs.
However, further research is required before treatments can be derived from such findings.
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Endometriosis
Per Science Alert, endometriosis surfaces when endometrium-like cells start building up in other areas of the body, such as the fallopian tubes or ovaries. Live Science adds that the condition is debilitating and painful. In fact, in severe cases, it may even lead to infertility.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition's main symptom is pelvic pain, which is oftentimes linked to menstrual periods. While several women experience cramps in the course of their menstrual periods, women with endometriosis experience pain that is reportedly worse than usual. This pain could also increase as time passes.
Roughly 10% of women and girls across the world who are of reproductive age may experience this condition, the World Health Organization notes. This is equivalent to roughly 11% of American women from ages 15 to 44, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health adds.
At present, treatments for endometriosis focus on hormonal therapy. However, this may lead to adverse effects. Women also cannot get pregnant while they receive treatment.
For intractable pelvic pain, surgery may be necessary. However, the recurrence rate is high even after the endometriotic lesions are surgically removed.
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