The new study, of unprecedented scale, examines not only clinical associations, but also for the first time the biological basis for these comorbidities - through genetics. It identifies osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, coeliac disease, and psoriasis among the comorbid conditions significantly linked to endometriosis.
These insights not only enhance our understanding of the relationship between endometriosis and immune conditions but also pave the way for better-targeted treatments, the potential for repurposing of existing treatments between conditions, and early interventions.
Key Findings:
- Women with endometriosis were found to have a 30-80% increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and coeliac disease, as well as autoinflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis and psoriasis.
- The study uncovered a genetic correlation between endometriosis and several of these diseases, suggesting that a shared genetic basis may underlie the increased risk. Specifically, genetic analysis showed correlations between endometriosis and both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and to a more limited extent multiple sclerosis.
- Analysis indicated a potential causal link between endometriosis and rheumatoid arthritis, highlighting that the presence of one condition may contribute to the development of the other.
The study used data from the UK Biobank, one of the largest databases available, to conduct a comprehensive analysis of over 8,000 endometriosis cases and 64,000 immunological disease cases. The researchers examined the association between endometriosis and 31 different immune conditions categorised as classical autoimmune diseases, autoinflammatory diseases, and mixed-pattern diseases.
Read the full story on the University of Oxford website.