Discovery of a novel biomarker in the urine in women with endometriosis

ObjectiveTo investigate whether proteins secreted in urine differ between women with and without endometriosis.DesignLaboratory study using human urine.SettingUniversity-based laboratory.Patient(s)Women with and without endometriosis undergoing laparoscopy, hysteroscopy and curettage.Intervention(s)Urine collection from women with and without endometriosis.Main Outcome Measure(s)Proteomic techniques and mass spectrometry to identify proteins secreted in the urine of women with and without endometriosis.Result(s)On average, 133 proteins were significantly different between women with and without endometriosis. Cytokeratin-19 was highly up-regulated in the urine of women with endometriosis.Conclusion(s)Cytokeratin-19 may be a valuable urinary biomarker for endometriosis.