title: [Relationship between serum epidermal growth factor and uterine leiomyoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on uterine leiomyoma and the relationship of EGF and estrogen, progesterone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourty patients with uterine leiomyoma and twenty normal women were studied. Serum EGF level was determined by radioimumunoassay, estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) levels were measured by enzyme marked monoclonal antibody assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum EGF, E2 and P levels in observed group were significantly higher than those in control group during secretive phase (P < 0.005). The serum EGF level in observed group during prolifrative phase was significantly higher than that of secretive phase (P < 0.05). The serum EGF level increased while uterus enlarged; EGF wasn't related to E2(r = 0.25, P > 0.05) and was related to P (r = 0.71, P < 0.005). The EGF level was the highest when E2 and P both increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EGF has the effect on growth of uterine leiomyoma. It is possible that EGF secretion can be stimulated by E2 and the effect of P is stronger than E2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Niu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor