Dr. Narjes Nasiri-Ansari, Dr. Aggeliki Karapanagioti, and a team of colleagues carried out the research under the guidance and supervision of Professor Eva Kassi from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.Tissue samples from both the ovarian cysts (ectopic endometria) and normal endometria (eutopic endometria) were collected from 27 different people who were previously diagnosed with ovarian endometriosis.

What Does the Study Tell Us?

When the researchers compared the expression patterns of genes related to the sleep-wake cycle in both samples, they found noticeable differences between the normal endometrium and ectopic ones.

This indicates disruption of the circadian clock at the tissue levels. However, the researchers feel that further investigations could provide better insights into the causal relationship between the altered expression of these genes and the development of endometriosis.

“Understanding the causes and effects of endometriosis will improve our ability to detect, manage or even prevent the condition. These findings provide us with a better understanding of biological rhythm disturbances,” commented Professor Eva Kassi.

Ways to Prevent Endometriosis

Source: Medindia