Iron metabolism study: The characteristics of iron metabolism in patients with ovarian endometriosis complicated with infertility.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigates iron metabolism characteristics in patients with ovarian endometriosis (EMs) and infertility.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted involving 76 infertility patients treated at Baise People's Hospital from December 2023 to December 2024. Among them, 36 patients with ovarian EMs and infertility were included in the case group, whereas 40 infertile women without EMs constituted the control group. The indices of iron metabolism, including serum iron (SI), transferrin (TRF), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation (TS), were measured and compared between the two groups. Furthermore, the association between iron metabolism levels and the development and progression of EMs was systematically analyzed.

RESULTS

The SI level was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (p < 0.01). Levels of TRF, UIBC, and TIBC were significantly lower in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in sTfR or TS between the two groups (p > 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the combined assessment of SI, TRF, UIBC, and TIBC provided statistically significant diagnostic accuracy for differentiating between the two groups, with corresponding p values less than 0.01.

CONCLUSION

Abnormal iron metabolism is present in patients with EMs and infertility. Excessive iron accumulation may exacerbate disease progression and influence reproductive prognosis. Modulating iron metabolism could potentially serve as a novel strategy to improve the condition of EMs and pregnancy outcomes.