Osteopontin as a marker of endometriosis - the current state of knowledge

Endometriosis is a disease affecting mainly women of childbearing age, where ectopic endometrial lesions occur outside the uterine cavity. Its main symptoms are chronic pain, infertility and dysmenorrhea. These symptoms significantly reduce the quality of life of patients suffering from this disease. Despite advanced research, the exact etiopathogenesis of endometriosis is still unknown and various theories explaining its origin are postulated in the course of research. Osteopontin is a protein originally discovered in the bone matrix and then in various tissues and organs of the body such as the kidneys, lungs, reproductive organs, vascular epithelial cells or some cancer cells. It is involved in processes such as cell adhesion and migration, angiogenesis and the promotion of tumor cell metastasis. These processes play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, hence intensive research on the role of osteopontin in the development of this disease is an interesting research direction.