title: Estrogen-related genome-based expression profiling study of uterosacral ligaments in women with pelvic organ prolapse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to identify the differential expression of estrogen-related genes that may be involved in the menopause and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) using microarray analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  An age, parity, and menopausal status-matched case-control study with 12 POP patients and 5 non-POP patients was carried out. The study was conducted from January to December 2010 at Yonsei University, Severance Hospital. We examined microarray gene expression profiles in uterosacral ligaments (USLs) from POP and non-POP patients. Total RNA was extracted from USL samples to generate labeled cDNA, which was hybridized to microarrays and analyzed for the expression of 44,049 genes. We identified differentially expressed genes and performed functional clustering. After clustering, we focused on transcriptional response and signal transduction gene clusters, which are associated with estrogen, and then validated the changes of gene expression levels observed with the microarray analysis using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data from the microarray analysis using more than a 1.5-fold change with p value <0.05 resulted in 143 upregulated genes and 87 downregulated genes. Of 59 genes identified to be associated with signal transduction and transcription, 4 genes were chosen for qPCR that have been classified to be associated with estrogen. We found that estrogen receptor-related receptor-α (ERRα) was downregulated and that the expression of death-associated protein kinase 2 (DAPK 2), signal-transducing adaptor protein-2 (STAP-2), and interleukin (IL)-15 were upregulated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found four differentially expressed genes by microarray analysis that may account for the way in which changes in estrogen level affect POP pathophysiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Women's Life Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seonsan-ro 250, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Korea, 120-749.
authors.forename: Yeo Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Sang Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Chan-Young
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Chul Hoon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D064550:Death-Associated Protein Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008022:Ligaments / Q000378:metabolism*; D008593:Menopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D005810:Multigene Family; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000097983:ERRalpha Estrogen-Related Receptor
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D064550:Death-Associated Protein Kinases; D004967:Estrogens; D019409:Interleukin-15; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D000097983:ERRalpha Estrogen-Related Receptor; C569274:IL15 protein, human; C413897:STAP2 protein, human; C579104:DAPK2 protein, human