They suggest that endometriosis can be caused by bacteria

2023/06/19 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Anatomia/Fisiologia
• Berdintasuna
• Medikuntza

Although endometriosis affects 15% of women of reproductive age, insufficient research has been done and the mechanisms behind it are not well known. Now, in a Japanese study, they suggest that there may be an infectious agent, a bacterium of the genus Fusobacterium.

The research has been published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. It is explained that 155 Japanese women have been analyzed, finding bacteria in more than half of those with endometriosis. On the contrary, only 7% of the control group.

In addition, in the mouse models used for the study of endometriosis, it has been shown that with the inoculation of Fusobacerium the symptoms and lesions of endometriosis worsen. Moreover, antibiotic treatments with metronidazole and chloramphenicol relieve injuries.

Therefore, they conclude that Fusobacterium infection can produce endometriosis pathogenesis and propose studying women of other ethnicities and studying antibiotic treatment.