Pentraxin-3 is a novel marker for the diagnosis of endometriosis

Abstract

Introduction: Endometriosis is one of the most common reproductive disorders affecting women. The pathophysiology of endometriosis is also quite complicated, and many mechanisms have been put forward. Pentraxin-3 is a glycoprotein released by leukocyte and myeloid dendritic cells in peripheral blood with the stimulation of some cytokines, especially IL-1 and TNF-alpha, Toll-Like Receptor agonists, or microbial components. It has been shown that pentraxin-3 is also released from ectopic endometrial cells. The aim of this study is to investigate serum pentraxin-3 levels and their correlation with endometriosis in women with endometriosis and healthy women without endometriosis. Methods: This case-control study evaluated patients diagnosed with endometriosis based on imaging techniques or laparoscopy between 2018 and 2020. Serum samples of 71 patients who had been diagnosed with endometriosis as a case group and 56 healthy patients who had undergone laparoscopic tubal ligation and were proven to be endometriosis-free as a control group were compared for pentraxin-3 level. Results: Serum pentraxin-3 level was significantly higher in the endometriosis group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Parity and gravida were significantly higher in the control group than in the endometriosis group. When patients with endometriosis surgery history were excluded, there was no significant change in serum pentraxin-3 levels in patients with medical treatment for endometriosis (p > 0.05). Both the sensitivity and specificity of serum pentraxin-3 were 73.2%. Conclusions: These results demonstrate a relationship between serum pentraxin-3 and endometriosis. Serum pentraxin-3 might be used as a non-invasive method for the diagnosis of endometriosis.