The curious link between endometriosis and an infectious bacterium

Subject :Science and technology

Section: Health

Context:

A new study points to a link between a bacteria associated with infections in the oral cavity, and endometriosis.
Though, scientists are yet to figure out why the locations of the lesions vary in each woman.

Endometriosis:

Endometriosis, a reproductive disease affecting one in 10 women worldwide, involves the growth of lesions on pelvic organs such as the ovaries.
- These lesions are composed of endometrium, a layer of tissue lining the uterus.
It causes infertility, chronic pain during periods, pelvic pain, bloating, nausea, fatigue, and is also associated with depression and anxiety among women.
Researchers have also linked endocrine-disrupting substances to the endometriosis as they interfere with the signalling, production, transport and metabolism of hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone, which are causal factors of endometriosis. The condition has also been linked to genetic and metabolic factors.

Common condition, unknown cause

Scientists worldwide have come up with different ideas of the disease’s cause.
- One is retrograde menstruation – when some part of the menstrual blood flows backwards, into the abdominal region, instead of flowing out of the vagina.
  - But this is common, occurring in close to 90% of menstruating women, whereas endometriosis affects only 10%.
- Another possibility: The inability of the immune system to detect and eliminate blood cells from retrograde menstruation, allowing it to persist in the pelvic region, points to some dysfunction in the immune system.
Treatment options are limited to hormone therapies, contraceptive pills, and laparoscopic surgery to remove the lesions.

Gut microbes and Fusobacterium:

There’s a link between inflammatory bowel disease with endometriosis; the latter’s proximity to the gut has had scientists asking whether a bacteria could be the problem.
Fusobacterium already has known links to infections of the gum, vagina, and rectum – yet it isn’t commonly found in meaningful quantities in the gut.
Experts have suggested that it could be moving to the abdomen through the bloodstream or to the vaginal region from the rectum.

What do the findings portend?

Endometriosis currently takes six years on average to be diagnosed. And even after a diagnosis, few treatment options are available.
Fibrous food can help manage the condition because, while metabolites released by certain microbes can aggravate endometrial lesions, other metabolites produced by the fermentation of certain types of food can protect from the condition. This is because the latter can decrease the abundance of Fusobacterium and other infectious bacterial species.
This is why the consumption of food with high amounts of antioxidants, probiotic foods (with Lactobacillus gasseri bacteria), and food rich in omega-3 fatty acids have also been found to help suppress the development of endometriosis.