title: Genes Downregulated in Endometriosis Are Located Near the Known Imprinting Genes.
abstract: There is now accumulating evidence that endometriosis is a disease associated with an epigenetic disorder. Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon known to regulate DNA methylation of either maternal or paternal alleles. We hypothesize that hypermethylated endometriosis-associated genes may be enriched at imprinted gene loci. We sought to determine whether downregulated genes associated with endometriosis susceptibility are associated with chromosomal location of the known paternally and maternally expressed imprinting genes. Gene information has been gathered from National Center for Biotechnology Information database geneimprint.com. Several researchers have identified specific loci with strong DNA methylation in eutopic endometrium and ectopic lesion with endometriosis. Of the 29 hypermethylated genes in endometriosis, 19 genes were located near 45 known imprinted foci. There may be an association of the genomic location between genes specifically downregulated in endometriosis and epigenetically imprinted genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan hirokoba@naramed-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higashiura
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Juria
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akasaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Chiharu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Uekuri
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Kana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Emiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Niiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morioka
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamada
keywords: chromosomal location; endometriosis; hypermethylation; imprinting genes