Estrogen receptor alpha and beta expression in uterine leiomyomas from premenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE

To measure messenger RNA levels of estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and beta in uterine leiomyomas, normal myometrium, and endometrium.

DESIGN

Prospective study.

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENT(S): Seventeen premenopausal women who underwent surgery due to symptomatic uterine leiomyomas.

INTERVENTION(S): None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Quantitative RT-PCR was used for evaluation of ERalpha and ERbeta expression. Results were normalized to total cellular DNA.

RESULT(S): Expression of ERalpha and ERbeta did not differ between leiomyomas and myometrium; however, in both tissues, expression of ERalpha was significantly higher than that of ERbeta. Estrogen receptor-alpha expression in endometrium was lower than in leiomyomas and myometrium. In leiomyomas and endometrium, correlations between expression of ERalpha and ERbeta were found.

CONCLUSION(S): Uterine leiomyomas, myometrium, and endometrium display distinct patterns of ER expression.