DotLab Announces Data from New Prospective Study on Clinical Diagnostic Biomarkers for Endometriosis, Enabling the First-Ever Non-invasive and Accurate Test for the Disease

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Data from a prospective study on novel DotLab endometriosis biomarkers will be presented at the 2017 American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Scientific Congress and Expo. The scientific abstract, published in Fertility and Sterility, revealed biomarkers that are the first to pre-operatively determine the presence of endometriosis among patients in whom the disease is suspected. The biomarker levels were significantly elevated in patients with endometriosis compared to the controls, and expression of the biomarkers was consistent with that of the controls in patients with suspected endometriosis but who were not found to have endometriosis on surgical evaluation.

Today, physicians can only definitively diagnose endometriosis via laparoscopic surgery. "Diagnostic biomarkers for endometriosis have the potential to dramatically reduce the time from the onset of symptoms to effective diagnosis and management," said Dr. Hugh Taylor, Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale School of Medicine. "These biomarkers could be used to not only identify patients requiring medical or surgical treatment, but also to monitor treatment response and recurrence of the disease."

The oral presentation (O-105) will take place on Tuesday, October 31, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, where the scientific meeting will be held. The research has been recognized by the ASRM Scientific Program Committee with the Endometriosis Special Interest Group Prize Paper award.

DotLab has exclusive worldwide rights to the biomarkers and will be exhibiting at the scientific meeting (booth #548), and representatives from the company will be available to answer questions about the diagnostic test. The company will be accepting physician orders for early access to the test.

Study methodology and results

Reproductive-age women undergoing laparoscopy or laparotomy for benign gynecologic indication were enrolled in this prospective case control study. Patients were stratified into the disease group if surgery confirmed the presence of endometriosis, and into the control if surgery revealed other benign pathology. The abstract discloses that total microRNA was extracted from serum and quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was carried out to determine the expression levels of selected miRNAs 125b-5p and 150-5p. Relative expression levels of miRNAs 125b and 150 were significantly higher in patients with endometriosis compared to the control (miRNA 125b: 1.5 fold, p=0.028; and microRNA 150: 23.7 fold, p=0.014). Notably, four patients with pelvic pain and suspected endometriosis were not found to have endometriosis on surgical evaluation. Expression of miRNA 125b-5p and 150-5p in these patients was consistent with that of the controls and differed from that of patients with surgically confirmed endometriosis. The oral presentation at ASRM will include more patients and biomarkers than were disclosed in the abstract.

About the American Society of Reproductive Medicine: ASRM is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the advancement of the science and practice of reproductive medicine. For more information, visit www.asrm.org.

About DotLab: DotLab is a healthcare technology company. The company's first product, DotEndo, is a non-invasive diagnostic test for endometriosis, a chronic condition that affects an estimated 1 in 10 women worldwide. For more information, please visit www.dotlab.com.

SOURCE DotLab