New research has revealed a genetic link between endometriosis and 11 different pain conditions and several inflammatory conditions.
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Genetic research was published yesterday, during endometriosis awareness month, that is, March, which has given a lot more insight into the genetic basis of the condition.
For the research, Prof. Grant Montgomery and Dr. Sally Mortlock from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, collaborated with researchers from the University of Oxford and 24 teams across the world.
Image Source: Institue for Molecular Bioscience- The University of Queensland
They compared the DNA codes of 60,674 women with endometriosis to those of 701,926 women without the condition. The women were of East Asian and European descent. The study was published in the journal Nature Genetics.
The study, led by Prof. Karina Zondervan and Dr. Nilufer Rahmioglu of the University of Oxford, included data from 23andMe and UK Biobank.
Dr. Sally Mortlock said that very little information has been available on endometriosis; hence, studying its genetic basis has the potential to give more clues on the biological processes that are the basis of its onset and progression.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease in which a tissue resembling the endometrium (the internal lining of the uterus) is found growing outside the uterus. This tissue can be found growing on the fallopian tubes, ovaries, or intestines.
Image Source: CHI Health
The condition affects 190 million women of reproductive age globally; that is, 1 in every 9 women is suffering from this disease.
The condition causes intense pain during menstruation, chronic pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, fatigue, infertility, and a chronic inflammatory reaction that might result in fibrosis or adhesions (formation of scar tissue) within the pelvic area and other body parts.
At present, hormonal treatment and excision surgery are used to treat the condition, which only eases the condition and relieves the pain since no cure for the disease has been found.
Findings
The study identified 42 genome-wide significant regions associated with endometriosis. As Dr. Mortlock has stated, the study has given 42 genetic regions with rich data associated with the disease; however, before the study, the number for such genetic regions was 17.
Source: AZoLifeSciences
The study found specific correlations between endometriosis and 11 pain conditions. These conditions included back pain, multisite chronic pain, and migraine.
The disease’s correlation was also observed with certain inflammatory conditions that included osteoarthritis and asthma.
According to Dr. Mortlock, the correlation between the genetic basis of endometriosis and different unrelated pains could point toward the sensitization of the central nervous system. She believes that this makes people suffering from more chronic pain from endometriosis more susceptible to other types of pain.
Significance of the findings
As stated by Prof. Montgomery, the diagnosis of endometriosis usually takes 8 to 10 years, but now, with more detailed genetic data, the process can be sped up.
mage Source: Genome Innovation Hub – University of Queensland
Prof. Montgomery has been studying the genetics of endometriosis for over 20 years, and he believes that the research was a vital step toward enhanced treatment and diagnosis.
Dr. Mortlock believes that the study has the potential to open up new ways and methods for treating endometriosis. Hence, there is a need to design pain treatments instead of hormonal treatments.
She also added that the findings can help find out the roles of the genes in the region, which can help in finding new drug targets and lead to new treatments.
