Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy induces apoptosis in uterine leiomyoma.
OBJECTIVE
We examined uterine tissue samples obtained from premenopausal women with uterine leiomyoma treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) to investigate the mechanism of the effects of GnRHa.


METHODS
Surgically resected myoma tissue obtained from 26 premenopausal patients with uterine leiomyoma treated with GnRHa, 20 premenopausal patients with uterine leiomyoma who did not receive GnRHa treatment, and 15 postmenopausal women with uterine leiomyoma were examined histologically.


RESULTS
GnRHa treatment reduced the size of uterine leiomyomata and induced significant hyaline degeneration in tumor tissue. Le(Y)-antigen expression was detected in 18 (69.3%) of 26 GnRHa-treated patients (P < 0.02) and in 12 (80.0%) of 15 postmenopausal women (P < 0.05), but in only eight (40.0%) of the 20 premenopausal patients who did not receive GnRHa. Apoptotic cells, detected by the nick-end labeling method were observed in 14 patients (53.8%) in the GnRHa-treated group, 10 patients (50.0%) in the non-treated group, and 12 postmenopausal women (80.0%).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that induction of apoptosis may be a mechanism of the effect of GnRHa in leiomyoma.
Higashijima
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kataoka
A
A
Nishida
T
T
Yakushiji
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D002064:Buserelin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; C094162:Lewis Y antigen; D002064:Buserelin