title: Endometriosis: harmful survival of an ectopic tissue.
abstract: Endometriosis results from implantation of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Endometriosis might remain asymptomatic and discovered accidentally. However, it may cause symptoms, which include chronic pelvic pain, bleeding, infertility, and increases susceptibility to development of adenocarcinoma. The most prevailing hypothesis is that endometriosis results from implantation of endometrial tissue that gains access to peritoneal cavity by retrograde flow during menstruation. The factors contributing to the establishment and persistence of the endometriotic lesions (plaques) most probably include abnormalities of the genital tract, genetic predisposition, hormonal imbalance, altered immune surveillance, inflammatory response and abnormal regulation of the endometrial cells. The mediators that contribute to survival and progression of endometriosis are likely involved in the development of the symptoms of this process. Genomic studies have started to delineate the wide array of mediators involved and the complex genetic background required in the development of endometriosis. This review summarizes our current knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of endometriosis, including progress made with transgenic animals, and a clinical perspective on the diagnosis and management of this common process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pecs, Hungary. janos.garai@aok.pte.hu
authors.forename: Janos
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garai
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.forename: Tamas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Varga
authors.forename: Miklos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koppan
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torok
authors.forename: Jozsef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bodis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D002828:Choristoma / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000473:pathology; D007249:Inflammation; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008954:Models, Biological; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors