Research leader Jacques Donnez, head of the department of gynecology at the Catholic University of Louvain, said that his team of scientists is working on the disease endometriosis to identify its cause and preventive measure.
The disease affects women and results in the growth of the endometrial tissue outside the uterus in the pelvic region. The characteristics symptoms are bleeding, pain, inflammation, adhesions and infertility. Statistics show that the disease affects 10-15% of the women. Experiments in mice show that increase iron results in the growth and proliferation of the lesion.The study results are published in the journal Human Reproduction. The researchers also suggest that the harmful effects of the metal (iron) ion can be reduced by treating the patient with iron chelaters. Scientists suggest that excess iron which accumulates in the body as a result of the breaks down of red blood cells (RBCs) from the monthly internal bleed is the cause of endometriosis. But further studies are essential to understand the cause of endometriosis among the high risk women.
