Endometriosis is an
estrogen-dependent inflammatory condition in women that is characterised by the
ectopic growth of endometrial glands and stroma outside of the uterine cavity.
Although there exists many theories for the pathogenesis of endometriosis, none
has been successively confirmed as a direct cause for disease development. The
human body comprises a diverse micro flora across all tissues that can have
fundamental roles in health and disease.
The microbial flora in a healthy
individual can vary remarkably between anatomical sites due to the physical and
chemical properties of specific tissues. This includes the female reproductive tract, notably the vagina, which harbours a micro biota dominated byLactobacilli species. In addition, a core unique micro biome has been defined
for the endometrium that also includes Lactobacilli spp. In this review we
examine the possibility that endometriosis could result from microbial dysbiosis,
whereby significant changes to the natural micro flora within the endometrium
could reduce mucosal immune regulation in this tissue with concomitant
expansion of pathogenic bacteria that trigger local tissue inflammation that
could perpetuate the development of endometrial disease.