Study, 2002
What chemical changes in menstrual blood might cause endometriosis?
The study suggests that menstrual tissue contains high levels of proteins and chemicals that could help menstrual fragments stick to other body areas if they escape. These chemicals are activated when progesterone drops before menstruation.
What they did
Researchers reviewed evidence from human and animal tissue samples about how the uterine lining changes during the menstrual phase. They examined chemical compounds produced in the lining and how progesterone withdrawal triggers these changes.
What they found
Menstrual tissue is rich in proteins and other compounds called MMPs, VEGF, and factors like chemokines and prostaglandins. These are increased when progesterone drops premenstrually. The tissue also has high numbers of immune cells. All these factors could help menstrual pieces stick to tissue elsewhere in the abdomen, potentially explaining how endometriosis develops.
What it means for you
This suggests a possible biological explanation for endometriosis, but it is a theory based on tissue analysis, not a study of women with endometriosis. Research directly testing this mechanism in women would strengthen this explanation.
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual and menstrual changes in the macaque and human endometrium: relevance to endometriosis
- Authors
- Brenner RM, Nayak NR, Slayden OD et al.
- Journal
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
- Year
- 2002
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb02766.x