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Serum miR-451a Levels Are Significantly Elevated in Women With Endometriosis and Recapitulated in Baboons (Papio anubis) With Experimentally-Induced Disease

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Abstract

We have previously demonstrated that human microRNA-451a (miR-451a) endometriotic lesion expression is significantly higher compared to that of the corresponding eutopic endometrium. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between lesion and serum content of miR-451a and to determine the utility of serum miR-451a in distinguishing between women with and without visible signs of endometriosis. Eighty-one participants were enrolled in this study, 41 with confirmed endo-metriosis and 40 without visible signs of endometriosis at laparoscopy (n = 20) or symptoms of endometriosis (pain, infertility n = 20). Experimental endometriosis was also induced in 8 baboons. Blood, endometriotic lesions, and eutopic endometrial samples were collected from women undergoing laparoscopy for surgical removal of endometriosis. Blood was also collected from control participants with no signs and symptoms associated with the disease as well as from baboons prior to, and then 1, 3, 6, 9, and 15 months postinduction of endometriosis. MicroRNA-451a was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in all samples. In humans, serum miR-451a levels positively correlated with endometriotic lesion miR-451a content, and sera levels were significantly higher in these participants compared to controls. The area under the curve (AUC) for miR-451a was 0.8599. In baboons, serum miR-451a reached statistically significant peak levels at 6 months postinduction of endometriosis. We conclude from this study that sera miR-451a levels positively correlated with endometriotic lesion content and are significantly greater compared to sera levels in women without visible signs or symptoms of endometriosis. MicroRNA-451a may serve as a serum diagnostic marker for endometriosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, HLSIC 3095, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA

    Warren B. Nothnick PhD, HCLD & Amanda Graham BS

  2. Center for Reproductive Sciences, Institute for Reproductive Health and Regenerative Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA

    Warren B. Nothnick PhD, HCLD

  3. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Tommaso Falcone MD

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA

    Niraj Joshi PhD & Asgerally T. Fazleabas PhD

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  1. Warren B. Nothnick PhD, HCLD
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  2. Tommaso Falcone MD
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  3. Niraj Joshi PhD
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  4. Asgerally T. Fazleabas PhD
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  5. Amanda Graham BS
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Correspondence to Warren B. Nothnick PhD, HCLD.

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Nothnick, W.B., Falcone, T., Joshi, N. et al. Serum miR-451a Levels Are Significantly Elevated in Women With Endometriosis and Recapitulated in Baboons (Papio anubis) With Experimentally-Induced Disease. Reprod. Sci. 24, 1195–1202 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719116681519

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