Expression of estrogen receptor (ER)alpha, ERbeta and insulin-like growth factor binding protein related peptide-1 messenger ribonucleic acid in uterine leiomyoma and normal myometrium / 대한산부인과학회잡지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a possible involvement of estrogen receptor (ER)alpha, ER beta and insulin-like growth factor binding protein related peptide-1 (IGFBPrp-1) in the growth of leiomyoma. METHODS: The relative expressions of ER alpha, ER beta and IGFBPrp-1 mRNA were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in total RNA extracted from the paired specimens of leiomyoma and adjacent myometrium from untreated patients (n=25) and from leiomyoma specimens from patients (n=10) pretreated with gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa)-pretreated for 3 months. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in ER alpha, ER beta mRNA expression and ER alpha/ ER beta mRNA ratio between adjacent myometrium and leiomyoma, but IGFBPrp-1 mRNA expression was significantly lower in leiomyoma than in adjacent myometrium from untreated patients. No differences in ER alpha, ER beta mRNA expressions and its ratio between leiomyoma from GnRHa-pretreated patients and leiomyoma from untreated patients. Leiomyoma from GnRHa-pretreated patients had IGFBPrp-1 mRNA expresion similar to adjacent myometrium from untreated patients and higher than large myoma (more than 150 cm3 in volume) from untreated patients. No correlations among ER alpha, ER beta mRNA expression, its ratio and IGFBPrp-1 mRNA expression were found. CONCLUSIONS: IGFBPrp-1 may be involved in the growth of uterine leiomyoma but ER may not.