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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on December 18, 2008
Human Reproduction 2009 24(4):954-965; doi:10.1093/humrep/den450
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Endometrial fluid is a specific and non-invasive biological sample for protein biomarker identification in endometriosis

A. Ametzazurra1, R. Matorras2, J.A. García-Velasco3, B. Prieto2, L. Simón1, A. Martínez1 and D. Nagore1,*

1 Proteomika, S.L. Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Edificio 801B, Derio, Vizcaya 48160, Spain 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital de Cruces, Basque Country University, Plaza de Cruces s/n, Baracaldo, Vizcaya 48903, Spain 3 Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Rey Juan Carlos University, Santiago Compostela, 88, Madrid 28035, Spain

* Correspondence address. Proteomika, S.L. Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Edificio 801B, Derio, Vizcaya 48160, Spain. E-mail: dnagore{at}proteomika.com

BACKGROUND: The development of non-invasive diagnostic methods for endometriosis requires sensitive and disease specific biomarkers. Here, we describe the use of aspirated endometrial fluid from women with and without endometriosis as a novel biological sample for biomarker discovery.

METHODS: Differential protein expression profiling of aspirates from women with early endometriosis (n = 14), advanced endometriosis (n = 32) and without evidence of the disease (n = 32) was assessed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). A biomarker validation study was performed in an independent cohort (early endometriosis n = 6 and advanced endometriosis n = 14, controls n = 15).

RESULTS: The analysis resulted in the identification of 31 proteins showing statistically significant differences in expression. The proteins identified are related to cell signalling, cell death and cell movement, processes that may be involved in the onset and/or progression of endometriosis. The differences in expression observed for 14-3-3 (signal transduction) and moesin (cytoskeletal structure) were confirmed in an independent group of endometriosis patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Endometrial fluid represents a novel sample for proteomic analysis offering reliable, disease specific information on protein expression, facilitating the discovery of biomarkers for endometriosis. The results described here complement previous proteomic studies, providing new endometriosis-related proteins to be validated as diagnostic markers.

Key words: endometriosis/biomarkers/proteomics/endometrial fluid aspirate

Submitted on March 25, 2008; resubmitted on November 14, 2008; accepted on November 19, 2008.


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