COMPARISON OF SERUM NEUTROPHIL GELATINASEASSOCIATED LIPOCALIN (NGAL) AMOUNT IN INFERTILE WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOMA AND IN UNEXPLAINED INFERTILE WOMEN

32nd World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility, Lisbon, Portekiz, 21 - 24 Kasım 2024, ss.93-94, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

Problem statement: To investigate whether serum NGAL, MMP-9 and

MMP-9/NGAL ratio that are inflammatory markers and used for

diagnosis and follow-up in some diseases can be used as a diagnostic

and follow-up marker in the diagnosis of endometrioma in infertile

patients. Methods: 45 unexplained infertility patients and 45 infertile

patients with endometrioma were included in the study. Patients with

endometriomas of at least 3 cm in size were included in the study and

all patients were also diagnosed with endometrioma laparoscopically. A

venous blood sample were taken from the patients, centrifuged and

stored at -80 degrees. 3 months after the surgery, venous blood sample

were taken again. NGAL and MMP-9 levels from the venous blood

sample and MMP-9/NGAL ratio of the unexplained infertility and

endometrioma group and the preoperative and postoperative results of

the endometrioma group were compared. Results: The mean age

(35.2±6.3 vs 31.7±6.7) and AMH values (1.8±1.6 vs 3.3±2.3 ng/ml) were

different between endometrioma and unexplained infertility group,

respectively (p=0.001;p=0.003). The mean blood level of NGAL and

MMP-9 in endometrioma and unexplained group were 22.0±4.0 ng/ml

and 25.4±4.9 ng/ml; 43.7±8.0 ng/ml and 39.3±10.7 ng/ml respectively

and all results were statistically significant ( p=0.001;p=0.012). The

mean blood level of NGAL and MMP-9 in endometrioma and same

patients on postoperative third months were 24.9±4.9 ng/ml and

27.0±4.98 ng/ml; 43.9±7.3 ng/ml and 36.7±8.7 ng/ml, respectively

(p=0.179;p=0.006). The mean ratio of MMP-9/NGAL in endometrioma,

unexplained group and postoperative patients were 2.0±0.2, 1.5±0.2

and 1.4±0.2. All these results between endometrioma-unexplained

group and endometrioma-postoperative patients were statistically

significant (p=0.001;p=0.001). When we made a ROC curve analysis for

the presence of endometrioma, it was observed that the MMP-9/NGAL

ratio value greater than 1.75 had 86.1% sensitivity and 84 % specificity

in indicating the presence of endometrioma. (AUC=0.898).

Conclusion: Surprisingly, NGAL blood level was lesser in the

endometrioma group. MMP-9/NGAL ratio can be useful in the diagnosis

of endometrioma.