Metabolite changes in patients with endometriosis: new potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets

Despite impressive progress being made in investigating the mechanisms underlying endometriosis, the pathophysiology of this disease remains unclear. Although typical methods used for diagnosing endometriosis such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and blood tests are available, these are also inefficient, and effective noninvasive diagnostic methods are lacking. The advances in high-throughput omics techniques have enabled metabolomics to become an effective approach for discovering promising biomarkers. The aberrant metabolism associated with serious symptoms of endometriosis in women has been revealed in recent years. Analyzing the global metabolic patterns in patients with endometriosis may help deepen the understanding of the disease mechanism and have a significant impact on future diagnostic and treatment methods for endometriosis. Herein, we reviewed relevant studies on metabolic changes in patients with endometriosis and discussed the changes in metabolites both in biological fluids and endometriosis tissues. The findings discussed in this review have potential diagnostic implications and will enhance the understanding of the pathophysiological processes underlying the disease.