L’endometriosis is a bacterial disease? A research involving several Japanese universities attempted to answer this question. You can read the results in the scientific journal Science Translational Medicine.
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Endometriosis is a bacterial disease: the role of Fusobacteria
the cause ofendometriosis or its aggravation would depend on an infection caused by bacteria in the family Fusobacterium. If this news were confirmed the therapy against this disease would consist in taking an antibiotic.
Many women affected by this pathology in our country
Only in our country between 10 and 15% of women of reproductive age suffer from this pathology. Endometriosis affects up to half of women who are infertile or have difficulty conceiving a child. In fact, it can compromise or limit the ability to get pregnant.
There are at least 3 million women with a full-blown diagnosis. Diagnosis is one of the weak points: sometimes it comes after years, with a situation that has become particularly severe over time. This disease is represented by the presence of endometrium outside the uterus. The endometrium is the mucous membrane that lines the uterus cavity.
Data suggesting that endometriosis is a bacterial disease
Researchers at Japanese universities compared data from two groups of 155 women. The results found that 64% of women with endometriosis had an infection Fusobacterium of the endometrium compared to less than 10% of healthy ones. But there’s more. The working group has identified the mechanism that leads from bacterial infection to endometriosis. This infection causes an impaired immune response.
The researchers then tested an antibiotic on an animal model. Experts gave antibiotics to mice with endometriosis. The antibiotic had the ability to prevent the development of the pathology or in any case to reduce the number and severity of the lesions that characterize the disease.
We need new insights
«Eradication of this bacterium with antibiotic treatment could be one approach to treat endometriosis in women positive for Fusobacteria infection. These women could be identified with a vaginal or uterus swab.” Yutaka Kondo is the research coordinator. However, further studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis. Researchers have started trials in humans. The results will come in a few months.