title: Endometriosis is associated with aberrant metabolite profiles in plasma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify metabolites that are associated with and predict the presence of endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Metabolomics study using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry approaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital and universities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five women with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis (cases) and 19 women with laparoscopically documented absence of endometriosis (controls). None of the women included in this study had received oral contraception or GnRH agonists for a minimum of 1 month before blood collection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma collection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Metabolite profiles were generated and interrogated using multiple mass spectrometry methods, that is, high performance liquid chromatography coupled with negative mode electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, UPLC-MS/MS, and ultra performance liquid chromatography-electroSpray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF). Metabolite groups investigated included phospholipids, glycerophospholipids, ether-phospholipids, cholesterol-esters, triacylglycerol, sphingolipids, free fatty acids, steroids, eicosanoids, and acylcarnitines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A panel of acylcarnitines predicted the presence of endometriosis with 88.9% specificity and 81.5% sensitivity in human plasma, with a positive predictive value of 75%. However, due to data limitations the outcome of the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A diagnostic model based on acylcarnitines has the potential to predict the presence and stage of endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Metabolic Diseases, and Netherlands Metabolomics Centre (NMC), Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Letsiou
authors.affiliation: Catholic University (KU) Leuven, Department of Development and Regeneration, Organ Systems, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dirkje P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Peterse
authors.affiliation: Catholic University (KU) Leuven, Department of Development and Regeneration, Organ Systems, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Amelie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fassbender
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, NMC, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Margriet M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hendriks
authors.affiliation: University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Metabolic Diseases, and Netherlands Metabolomics Centre (NMC), Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Niels J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: van den Broek
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, NMC, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: Catholic University (KU) Leuven, Department of Development and Regeneration, Organ Systems, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dorien F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: O
authors.affiliation: Catholic University (KU) Leuven, Department of Development and Regeneration, Organ Systems, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanhie
authors.affiliation: Catholic University (KU) Leuven, Department of Development and Regeneration, Organ Systems, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vodolazkaia
authors.affiliation: Département de Gynécologie, Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Institut de Recherche Clinique et Expérimentale, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Langendonckt
authors.affiliation: Département de Gynécologie, Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Institut de Recherche Clinique et Expérimentale, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Donnez
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Department of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Amy C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Harms
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, NMC, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden University, Department of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rob J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Vreeken
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's Health and Endocrine, Merck Sharpe Dome, Oss, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Patrick G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Groothuis
authors.affiliation: Département de Gynécologie, Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Institut de Recherche Clinique et Expérimentale, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marie-Madeleine
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dolmans
authors.affiliation: University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Metabolic Diseases, and Netherlands Metabolomics Centre (NMC), Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arjan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Brenkman
authors.affiliation: Catholic University (KU) Leuven, Department of Development and Regeneration, Organ Systems, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: thomas.dhooghe@kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: D'Hooghe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001530:Belgium; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002331:Carnitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008055:Lipids; C116917:acylcarnitine; D002331:Carnitine
keywords: Diagnosis; acylcarnitines; endometriosis; metabolomics