Genomic Alterations in Ectopic and Eutopic Endometria of Women with Endometriosis

Abstract

The correct classification of tissue samples into two groups suggests that these two subtypes of endometriosis may have distinct genomic alteration profiles and are thus distinct entities, as previously proposed. The shared alterations are likely the ones that harbor genes responsible for an increased propensity of endometrial debris to implant to the ectopic sites and for early events that lead to the establishment of lesions. Alternatively, these shared alterations may harbor genes that are dysregulated in both eutopic and ectopic endometria. The identified genomic alterations should help to zero in genes involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis in future studies.