Guidelines for Interpreting Your Endometriosis Test Results
Endometriosis is a condition that impacts fertility and the success of in vitro fertilization, or IVF, treatment. The MyReceptiva test helps detect the presence of endometriosis, and a physician can guide you in understanding the diagnosis. Here are some guidelines for interpreting the endometriosis test results:
Endometriosis Testing
In an endometriosis patient, tissue similar to the endometrial lining in the uterus grows in areas where it shouldn’t be. These ares include the ovaries, the outer wall of the uterus, the fallopian tubes, and the intestines. Women with endometriosis are five times less likely to become pregnant without receiving treatment. Symptoms include:
- Pain in the abdomen, pelvis, bladder, or bowels
- Dyspareunia, or pain before or during sex
- Unexplained infertility
Silent endometriosis has subtler symptoms, including mild lower back pain and bleeding between cycles. This makes silent endometriosis more challenging to detect. An endometriosis test uses endometrial biopsy sampling to determine the likelihood of the condition. While not diagnostic, it has a 93% sensitivity rate, which means that it can detect 93 out of every 100 endometriosis cases.
Your OB-GYN or reproductive specialist can perform the test during a standard office visit. Before scheduling, wait for seven to 10 days after ovulation. Testing within the correct timeframe helps produce more accurate results; the MyReceptiva test kit comes with an ovulation detection kit to help you find this window.
During the visit, the doctor will take a sample of the uterine lining by inserting a small catheter into the vaginal canal. After taking a sample, they place it in a vial with 10% formalin to stabilize it. Your physician can send the sample to our lab via overnight shipping and then receive a report with results between seven to 10 business days.
BCL6 Results
The endometriosis test works by checking for the presence of the BCL6 protein. This protein is a marker that indicates uterine inflammation, which is a symptom of endometriosis. The lab report includes the results of BCL6 testing, and these results are displayed as either positive or negative.
Positive BCL6 Result
If the report shows a positive result, this means that the sample contained the BCL6 protein and that there is a 90% or greater chance of endometriosis. The presence of the BCL6 marker can also indicate progesterone resistance. Progesterone is a hormone that helps with menstrual cycle regulation, impacting the thickness of the uterine lining. Endometriosis may cause progesterone resistance, which causes abnormal uterine lining and impacts embryo development.
Discuss these results with a reproductive specialist. Having a positive result helps you decide whether to confirm the results via a laparoscopy, which is a surgical procedure that can find and remove endometrial tissue growth. A positive BCL6 result also lets your provider choose appropriate treatments to help reduce symptoms and improve fertility. Hormonal treatment options include oral contraceptives and gonadotropin-releasing agents to reduce inflammation. Undergoing hormone treatment before an IVF cycle may enhance the success rate.
Negative BCL6 Result
If the report displays a negative result for BCL6, this indicates that there is no abnormal inflammation. A negative result is associated with a less than 7% chance of a laparoscopy finding endometrial tissue growth. Having a negative result helps your physician narrow down the possible causes of infertility, increasing the chances of finding the correct factors. This allows your doctor to create an appropriate treatment plan to treat infertility.
Pathology Analysis
Your test results also include a complete analysis conducted by a pathologist. This analysis reviews the sample for signs of atypical cells, malignancies, or potential infections that impact reproductive health and fertility. It may also test the health and proper function of the ovaries. With your endometriosis test, you can choose to have the sample tested for the CD138 marker. A positive CD138 result indicates endometritis, which is a bacterial infection.
Receive an Endometriosis Test
A sample MyReceptiva lab report with interpretations of test results is available for download on our website. We also provide collection instructions that you can give to your provider. If you have questions about the test, schedule a free 20-minute phone consultation to discuss them with a team member. Contact us to learn more about how to schedule an endometriosis test with your doctor and how to interpret the results.
