Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine: http://www.expertreviews.org/
DOI: 10.1017/S146239940700021X; 16 January 2007
Meng-Hsing Wu, Yutaka Shoji, Pei-Chin Chuang and Shaw-Jenq Tsai (2007) Endometriosis: disease pathophysiology and the role of prostaglandins. Expert Rev. Mol. Med. Vol. 9, Issue 2, DOI: 10.1017/S146239940700021X

Endometriosis: disease pathophysiology and the role of prostaglandins

Meng-Hsing Wu ^a1, Yutaka Shoji ^a2, Pei-Chin Chuang ^a2 and Shaw-Jenq Tsai ^{a2 c1}

^a1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan 701, Taiwan, Republic of China.

^a2 Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan 701, Taiwan, Republic of China.

^c1 Corresponding author: Shaw-Jenq Tsai, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 701, Taiwan, Republic of China. Tel: +886 6 235 3535 (ext. 5426); Fax: +886 6 236 2780; E-mail: seantsai@mail.ncku.edu.tw

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.

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