title: Circulating Micro-RNAs as Diagnostic Biomarkers for Endometriosis: Privation and Promise.
abstract: Endometriosis represents a major medical concern in women of reproductive age. One of the remaining major hurdles for successful treatment of endometriosis is the limitation of the process of timely disease diagnosis. A simple blood test for endometriosis-specific biomarkers would offer a more timely accurate diagnosis for the disease, thus allowing for earlier treatment intervention. Although there have been considerable efforts to identify such biomarkers, no clear choice for such noninvasive diagnostic tools has been identified. Micro-RNAs are small noncoding RNAs that have been evaluated intensively as biomarkers for several diseases, and they may hold promise for a diagnosis of endometriosis. In this review, we highlight the need for noninvasive testing for endometriosis, discuss the potential use of micro-RNAs as diagnostic tools for this disease, and consider potential limitations in the use of these small RNA molecules as diagnostic markers for endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Institute of Reproductive Health and Regenerative Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas. Electronic address: wnothnic@kumc.edu.
authors.forename: Warren B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Nothnick
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgia Regents University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Hendy
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgia Regents University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lue
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Diagnostic biomarker; Endometriosis; microRNA