A new blood test for endometriosis

Australian researchers develop novel test to diagnose debilitating condition affecting one in nine Australian women and girls.

The breakthrough, published in the prestigious international medical journal Human Reproduction, is a significant step toward providing women with a non-invasive test that can detect early stages of the disease.

Fast facts

• Endometriosis affects one in nine women and girls in Australia
• Diagnosis typically takes seven years
• The incidence of endometriosis is three-fold higher in women undergoing fertility treatments
• Currently there is no readily available accurate non-invasive test for endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic condition affecting approximately 190 million women and teenage girls globally. It can cause severe pelvic pain, painful periods, and infertility.

It occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body where it does not belong.

Professor Peter Rogers, Research Director at the Royal Women’s Hospital and the Professor of Women’s Health Research at the University of Melbourne said, “this breakthrough is an exciting advance in the diagnosis of this debilitating disease.”

“Currently, it takes on average seven years for a woman to receive a diagnosis and during that time she is enduring significant life impacting symptoms, her years of fertility are reducing and the endometriosis is spreading.”

“These results are a significant step towards solving the critical need for a non-invasive, accurate test that can diagnose endometriosis at an early stage as well as when it is more advanced”, he said.

The breakthrough was developed by Perth based medical technology company, Proteomics International.

In collaboration with the Royal Women's Hospital and the University of Melbourne, scientists analysed plasma samples from 805 participants across two independent groups.

we identified 10 protein biomarkers, or ‘fingerprints’ in the blood, that can be found using our test, in women and girls with endometriosis.

The blood test, called PromarkerEndo, could significantly reduce the cost and the amount of time typically spent on trying to solve the cause of symptoms suffered by women and girls over years, often from as early as when they start having periods.

A blood test is more cost-effective for patients and the health system than the current use of ultrasounds, invasive laparoscopies, MRI’s and biopsies to diagnose endometriosis, and work is underway to fortify the robustness and reliability of the new test for clinical use”

Dr Richard Lipscombe, Managing Director, Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd

It is estimated endometriosis costs Australia $9.7 billion each year.

The blood test shows excellent results in distinguishing between healthy people and those who are symptomatic for the disease from those who actually have early stages of endometriosis.

While there is currently no known cure for endometriosis and treatment is usually aimed at controlling symptoms, Professor Rogers said access to early diagnosis and effective treatment of endometriosis is important.

“Detecting endometriosis at an early stage increases treatment options and may improve a patient’s response to laser ablation or the medical therapies currently used.”

“Among healthy women undergoing fertility treatments there is a three-fold increased incidence of endometriosis”, Professor Rogers said.

Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd (Proteomics International), is a pioneer in precision diagnostics, based in Perth.

The new results have been published online in the journal Human Reproduction in an advance article of the January Issue, showing the PromarkerEndo test can diagnose all stages of endometriosis with a high degree of accuracy.