Endometriosis (EM) is a chronic gynecological disorder characterized by distressing pain and a high risk of infertility. While exploratory laparoscopy is currently the standard for diagnosis and staging, it is an invasive surgical procedure with potential risks. There is a clinical need for non-invasive biomarkers to facilitate early detection and spare patients from unnecessary surgery. The objective of this prospective cohort study is to evaluate the accuracy of plasma levels of Mir-141-3p and Mir-125b-5p as distinguishing biomarkers for patients with early-stage endometriosis. The study protocol involves the following procedures: - Clinical Screening: Women presenting with symptoms suggestive of EM (e.g., dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, or infertility) are evaluated using the 30-item Endometriosis Health Profile (EHP-30) questionnaire. Biomarker Estimation: Blood samples are drawn to measure serum carbohydrate antigen (CA)-125 and the plasma expression levels of Mir-141-3p and Mir-125b-5p. Imaging: All participants undergo transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) to assess disease phenotype and grade.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
60
This is the surgical "gold standard" used for definitive diagnosis. Performed under intravenous anesthesia, the procedure involves the visual detection and description of EM lesions (size, appearance, and depth). Findings are staged from I-IV according to the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) guidelines.
Two blood samples are drawn from each patient following their menstrual cycle. One sample is used to measure serum carbohydrate antigen (CA)-125 levels via ELISA. The second sample is used to estimate the plasma expression levels (fold change) of Mir-141-3p and Mir-125b-5p using quantitative real-time PCR (rt-PCR).
Patients undergo pelvic imaging using a 7.5-MHz transvaginal probe. The procedure follows a standardized 5-domain US-based approach to identify specific endometriosis phenotypes and grade the severity of lesions prior to surgery.
Benha University
Banhā, Al Qalyoubia, Egypt
Diagnostic Sensitivity and Specificity of Plasma MicroRNA 125b-5p Fold Change for Differentiating Early Endometriosis
Evaluation of the diagnostic performance of plasma MicroRNA 125b-5p expression level (calculated as a fold-change relative to GAPDH using the $2\^{-\\Delta\\Delta CT}$ method). The outcome measures the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of this single genetic biomarker at a pre-determined cutoff point of $\\ge 1.029$ to distinguish early endometriosis (laparoscopic Stages I-II) from deep endometriosis (laparoscopic Stages III-IV).
Time frame: 18 months
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