Plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor in women with pelvic pain: A potential biomarker for endometriosis?
Abstract
AIM: To test whether plasma BDNF levels are useful to predict the presence of endometriosis in women with pelvic pain. PATIENTS & METHODS: Prospective cross-sectional study including 67 consecutive women aged 24-49 years, scheduled for laparoscopy due to chronic pelvic pain. Preoperative plasma samples were assayed for BDNF using a commercial enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: Women with ovarian endometrioma had higher preoperative plasma BDNF (1063 ± 157 pg/ml) compared with women with other benign ovarian tumors (537 ± 131 pg/ml, F = 2.53; p = 0.02). However, plasma BDNF levels were not helpful to indicate the presence of peritoneal or deep infiltrating endometriosis. Plasma BDNF levels were positively correlated with the severity of pelvic pain (r = 0.489; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Plasma BDNF might be a biomarker of ovarian endometrioma but not a useful diagnostic marker to detect other forms of endometriosis in women with painful symptoms.
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BDNF is not useful in detecting peritoneal endometriosis and deeply infiltrating endometriosis.
“As research shows, BDNF is not useful in detecting peritoneal endometriosis and deeply infiltrating endometriosis [148].”
From Endometriosis: Epidemiology, Classification, Pathogenesis, Treatment and Genetics (Review of Literature) (2021) · cites this paper as [148]
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- Authors
- Rocha, A. L., Vieira, E. L., Ferreira, M. C., Maia, L. M., Teixeira, A. L., & Reis, F. M.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (BR)
- Department of Internal Medicine,Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Venue
- Biomarkers in Medicine
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2017-03-14
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 313-317
- ISSN
- 1752-0363 (ISSN-L)
- 1752-0371
- OpenAlex
- W2601024278
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 5.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biomarkers in Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (311154/2015-8)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Endometriosis Research and Treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosis and Management
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Gynecological conditions and treatments
- Keywords
- brain-derived neurotrophic factor, endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain, endometrioma, plasma biomarkers, diagnostic biomarkers, peritoneal endometriosis, deep infiltrating endometriosis, pain intensity
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Chronic Disease, Cross-Sectional Studies, Endometriosis, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Laparoscopy, Prospective Studies, ROC Curve, Severity of Illness Index, Biomarkers, Pelvic Pain, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Area Under Curve, Young Adult
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