We hear more and more about blood tests using DNA, RNA, and microRNA being researched as a possible way to help diagnose endometriosis. While more studies are needed, these tests do show some promise (Zafari et al., 2021). It would be nice to be a able to get a simple blood test and know that you probably have endometriosis and be able to plan accordingly. As Fassbender et al. (2015) states: “The most important goal of the test is that no women with endometriosis or other significant pelvic pathology are missed who might benefit from surgery for endometriosis-associated pain and/or infertility.”
MicroRNA are one specfic type of blood test being investigated. MicroRNA are involved in gene expression. Humans have “over 700 miRNAs” that “have been identified and fully sequenced”; these “miRNAs in humans have a direct influence on at least 30% of the genes in the whole genome” (Meštrović, 2018). Papari et al. (2020) explain that: “microRNAs are present in body fluids, including blood…which makes them more stable than circulating hormone or cytokine concentrations and therefore better candidate markers of disease. One miRNA can target several genes, and one gene can be targeted by different miRNAs. Circulating levels of miRNAs are dysregulated in several different cancers and in endometriosis.”
Papari et al. (2020) further states that “no clinical marker of endometriosis, either alone or in combination, has provided adequate sensitivity or specificity for the diagnosis of endometriosis. Thus, the search for suitable diagnostic markers of endometriosis remains a high but unmet research priority.” They did find in their study that a panel of different microRNA improved the accuracy of the test (Papari et al., 2020). Similar to ultrasounds, MRI’s, and other diagnostics studies, they might be helpful to rule in endometriosis but not necessarily entirely rule it out (see “But All Your Tests Are Negative”). It might be an initial step towards investigating the possibility of endometriosis once tests become available, but further investigation is warranted even if negative.
For more information see “Labwork and Blood Tests“
References
Fassbender, A., Burney, R. O., F O, D., D’Hooghe, T., & Giudice, L. (2015). Update on biomarkers for the detection of endometriosis. BioMed research international, 2015. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/130854/
Meštrović, T. (2018). What is MicroRNA. Retrieved from https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/What-is-MicroRNA.aspx
Papari, E., Noruzinia, M., Kashani, L., & Foster, W. G. (2020). Identification of candidate microRNA markers of endometriosis with the use of next-generation sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Fertility and Sterility, 113(6), 1232-1241. Retrieved from https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(20)30027-3/fulltext
Zafari, N., Bahramy, A., Majidi Zolbin, M., Emadi Allahyari, S., Farazi, E., Hassannejad, Z., & Yekaninejad, M. S. (2021). MicroRNAs as novel diagnostic biomarkers in endometriosis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 1-17. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14737159.2021.1960508
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