Expression profile of several genes in human myometrium and uterine leiomyoma.
OBJECTIVE
To screen several genes that are differentially expressed in uterine leiomyoma and matched unaffected myometrium by using microarray-based hybridization and real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses.


METHODS
Screen by arrays for < or =2,400 known genes in leiomyoma and control myometrium.


METHODS
University clinical research laboratory.


METHODS
Four patients with leiomyoma scheduled for surgery during the proliferative phase.


METHODS
Four paired samples of leiomyoma and adjacent myometrium were obtained from patients undergoing hysterectomy.


METHODS
Fold-changes in expression of leiomyoma and matched myometrium (L/M).


RESULTS
A comparison of expression patterns revealed 73 genes significantly up- or down-regulated in each paired tissue sample, of which 30 genes showed increased expression (mean L/M of >2) and 43 showed decreased expression (mean L/M of <0.5) in leiomyoma compared with normal myometrium. When considering only growth factors, pleiotropin (PTN) was expressed 3.5-fold more in leiomyomas compared with in myometrium. No other growth factors were similarly affected. In addition, real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis correlated well with microarray data.


CONCLUSIONS
Data obtained from the present study suggest that several genes are selectively overexpressed in leiomyomas compared with in myometrium. Increased expression of growth factor PTN may represent a promising target for therapy.
Roth
Ted M
TM
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Specialty Center of Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston, Maine, USA.
Klett
Christoph
C
Cowan
Bryan D
BD
D000328:Adult; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009215:Myometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; C066845:pleiotrophin