A narrative review about the intricate crosstalk among endometrium, adipose tissue, and neurons in endometriosis. The multifaceted role of leptin

Abstract

Endometriosis is a highly prevalent gynecological disease characterized by the presence of endometrium-like tissue outside the uterus, whose etiopathology is far from being elucidated. The most frequent complains of patients are pelvic pain and infertility. Increasing evidence supports the systemic impact of endometriosis suggesting that an intricate crosstalk among distinct organs underlies the development of the disease. In this setting, endometriosis patients present an increased risk for developing other diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular pathologies, and autoimmune diseases, and manifest neurologic disturbances, including neuropathic hyperalgesia. Whilst the ovary-secreted estrogen dependency of ectopic endometrium growth is well established, we conjecture that adipose tissue-secreted molecules also intervene in endometriosis development and pain manifestation. In fact, women with endometriosis present a peculiar pattern of adipokine secretion that ensues the disease onset. Unexpectedly, the levels of adipose tissue-secreted molecules in those women present similarities with those found in patients with obesity, despite the recognized association of low body mass index with endometriosis. Taking this evidence into consideration, we hypothesize that endometriosis patients present a dysfunctional adipose tissue, which is associated with enhanced metabolism and unregulated browning that not only intervene in the control of body weight but also in peculiar pain processing pathways.

Keywords: adipose tissue; endometriosis; leptin; neuronal activity.