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Endometriosis: disease pathophysiology and the role of prostaglandins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2007

Meng-Hsing Wu
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan 701, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Yutaka Shoji
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan 701, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Pei-Chin Chuang
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan 701, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Shaw-Jenq Tsai
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan 701, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Abstract

Endometriosis is considered to be a polygenic disease with a complex, multifactorial aetiology that affects about 10% of women in the reproductive age. Women with endometriosis have symptoms that include chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhoea and dyspareunia, significantly reducing their quality of life. Endometriosis is also the primary cause of infertility in women, with the prevalence rate ranging from 20% to 50%. The high prevalence and severe outcomes of this disease have made it a major public health concern in modern society. Currently, the mechanism(s) responsible for the initiation and promotion of this disease remains obscure. In this review, we focus on the expression, regulation and action of prostaglandins in the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the development and/or maintenance of endometriosis.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
© 2007 Cambridge University Press

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