Microbiome Signatures identifies and validates condition-specific microbiome shifts and interventions to accelerate clinical translation. Our multidisciplinary team supports clinicians, researchers, and innovators in turning microbiome science into actionable medicine.
Metabolomic Signature of Endometriosis
The chronic inflammatory state of endometriosis affects energy metabolism, particularly altering glutamine and glutamate levels in tissues. These shifts in amino acid, lipid, sugar, and organic acid metabolisms create a distinct profile for endometriosis.
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease—four years before the first published case study.
Overview
The metabolomic signature of endometriosis features increased protein turnover, leading to higher blood amino acid levels from catabolic damage. In contrast, alanine, lysine, phenylalanine, and leucine levels drop in endometrial tissues but rise in serum, offering promising diagnostic markers. The chronic inflammatory state of endometriosis affects energy metabolism, particularly altering glutamine and glutamate levels in tissues. These shifts in amino acid, lipid, sugar, and organic acid metabolisms create a distinct profile for endometriosis. [1][2] These metabolomic signatures open avenues for non-invasive diagnostics and new therapeutic strategies. [3]
What is the metabolomic signature of endometriosis?
Biomarkers | Serum Concentrations |
Amino Acids | ⬆ Alanine⬆ Lysine⬆ Phenylalanine⬆ Leucine⬆ Valine⬆ Threonine⬆ Taurine⬇ Arginine⬇ Leucine |
Lipids | ⬆ Sphyngomielins⬆ Ether-phospholipids |
Sugars | ⬇ Glucose |
Organic Acids | ⬆ Lactate ⬆ 2-Hydroxybutyrate ⬆ 3-Hydroxybutyrate |
Other metabolites | ⬆ 2-Methoxyestradiol⬆ 2-Methoxyestrone⬆ Dehydroepiandrosterone⬆ Androstenedione⬆ Cholesterol⬇ Primitive bile acids [x]⬆ Acyl-carnitine (long-chain) |
Sample Tissue | Biomarkers |
Endometrial tissue | ⬇ Alanine⬇ Lysine⬇ Phenylalanine⬇ Leucine |
Endometriotic Tissue | ⬇ Formate |
Endometrial fluid | ⬇ Monohexosylceramides⬇⬆Ceramides⬆Glycerophospholipids ⬆Glycerolipids |
Follicular fluid | ⬆Phosphatidylcholines |
Adipose and Peripheral tissue | ⬆ Estradiol |
Cerebral tissue | ⬆ Glutamine |
Urine | ⬆ Taurine⬆ Valine⬆ Guanidino-succinate⬆ Creatinine⬆ 2-Hydroxyisovalerate |
References
- Metabolomics reveals perturbations in endometrium and serum of minimal and mild endometriosis.. Dutta M, Singh B, Joshi M, et al.. (Sci Rep. April 24, 2018)
- A metabonomics approach as a means for identification of potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of endometriosis.. Dutta M, Joshi M, Srivastava S, Lodh I, Chakravarty B, Chaudhury K.. (Mol Biosyst. (2012))
- 1H NMR- based metabolomics approaches as noninvasive tools for diagnosis of endometriosis. Ghazi N, Arjmand M, Akbari Z, Mellati AO, Saheb-Kashaf H, Zamani Z.. (Int J Reprod Biomed. January 14, 2016.)
- Metabolomics reveals perturbations in endometrium and serum of minimal and mild endometriosis.. Dutta M, Singh B, Joshi M, et al.. (Sci Rep. April 24, 2018)
- A metabonomics approach as a means for identification of potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of endometriosis.. Dutta M, Joshi M, Srivastava S, Lodh I, Chakravarty B, Chaudhury K.. (Mol Biosyst. (2012))
- Discovery of phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins as biomarkers for ovarian endometriosis. K. Vouk, N. Hevir, M. Ribič-Pucelj, G. Haarpaintner, H. Scherb, J. Osredkar, G. Möller, C. Prehn, T. Lanišnik Rižner, J. Adamski.. (Human Reproduction, October 2012.)
- Lipidomic profiling of endometrial fluid in women with ovarian endometriosis.. Francisco Domínguez, Marcos Ferrando, Patricia Díaz-Gimeno, Fernando Quintana, Gemma Fernández, Inés Castells, Carlos Simón.. (Biology of Reproduction, April 2017)
- Potential role of aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of endometriosis.. Abu Hashim H.. (Int J Womens Health. July 21, 2014.)
- Functional Connectivity is Associated With Altered Brain Chemistry in Women With Endometriosis-Associated Chronic Pelvic Pain.. As-Sanie S, Kim J, Schmidt-Wilcke T, et al.. (J Pain. 2016)
- Nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomic profiling of urine provides a noninvasive alternative to the identification of biomarkers associated with endometriosis.. Vicente-Muñoz S, Morcillo I, Puchades-Carrasco L, Payá V, Pellicer A, Pineda-Lucena A.. (Fertil Steril. 2015)