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Background/Objectives: Endometriosis represents substantial direct and indirect healthcare costs impacted by an absence of uniformly accurate, non-invasive diagnostic tools. We endeavored to demonstrate gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity (GIMA) biomarkers, unique to endometriosis, will allow non-invasive, uniformly accurate diagnosis or exclusion of endometriosis. Methods: Prospective open-label comparative study of 154 patients, age ≥ 18, with or without diagnosed endometriosis. Population included 62 non-endometriosis controls (Cohort 1), 43 subjects with surgically/histologically confirmed endometriosis (Cohort 2), and 49 subjects with abdominal pain and negative imaging (Cohort 3). Non-invasive electroviscerography (EVG) recorded GIMA biomarkers from three abdominal electrodes before and 30 min post water load protocol. Cohort 2 had postoperative EVG and Cohort 3 had preoperative EVG. Calculated specificity, sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and predictive probability or C-statistic used univariate, multivariate, linear, and logistical regression analyses of the area under the curve (AUC) at all frequency and time points, including age and pain covariants. Results: The non-endometriosis cohort differed significantly from the endometriosis cohorts (p 0.05). GIMA biomarker threshold scoring demonstrated 95%/91% sensitivity and PPV, 96%/95% specificity and NPV, and a C-statistic of >99%/98%, respectively, for age subsets. GIMA biomarkers in Cohort 3 predicted 47/49 subjects positive and 2/49 negative for endometriosis, confirmed surgically. Hormonal therapy, surgical stage, nor pain score affected diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions: EVG with GIMA biomarker detection distinguished participants with and without endometriosis based upon endometriosis-specific GIMA biomarkers threshold scoring.
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Gastrointestinal Myoelectrical Activity (GIMA) Biomarker for Noninvasive Diagnosis of Endometriosis.
Noar M et al., 2024
Noar M, Mathias J, Kolatkar A
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