Application of serum markers in diagnosis and staging of ovarian endometriosis

Abstract Aims Laparoscopic surgery is widely used for diagnosing ovarian endometriosis but it has medical risks. This study explored the application of blood indicators in diagnosis and staging of ovarian endometriosis, aiming to develop a noninvasive diagnostic method. Methods A total of 190 ovarian endometriosis patients were included in observation group, among these participants, 77 patients among them were stages I–II, and the rest 113 patients were stages III–IV, and a total of 103 healthy women as control group. Serum biochemical indexes, tumor markers, and cytokines levels in two groups were used for the diagnosis and staging of the disease. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) predicted the value of individual and joint tests for indicators. Results Biochemical indexes, namely, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein (TP), and glucose (Glu) could distinguish patients from normal women; and that ALP and Glu could indicate disease staging. In tumor markers, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CA) 125, CA199 and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) helped to diagnose endometriosis; CA125, HE4, and cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21‐1) could differentiate stages. In cytokines, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interleukin (IL)‐6, soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase receptor 1 (sflt‐1), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)‐1 therefore, have values to diagnose endometriosis; VEGF, TNF‐α, IL‐6, and sflt‐1 helped to differentiate disease staging. Conclusion Serological indicators in ovarian endometriosis patients were different from healthy women, which were of certain differential values in diagnosis and disease staging. The current study provided a novel strategy for endometriosis diagnosis.