Leu/Val SNP polymorphism of CYP1B1 and risk of uterine leiomyoma in a Black population.

Uterine leiomyoma (UL) is the most commonly occurring benign tumor that affects women of reproductive ages. Studies strongly suggest that ULs are hormonally dependent and that genes acting in estrogen metabolism might be involved in their development. The focus of this case-control study was to determine whether the Leucine432Valine single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the gene encoding cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) was associated with an increased risk of UL in Black Barbadian women. The investigation comprised 37 women clinically diagnosed with UL and 52 controls. The CYP1B1 Leu432Val polymorphism (Leu/Val) was analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The homozygous Valine432 variant (Val/Val) was predominant in both cases and controls for this population (89 and 83 %, respectively). The odds ratio for risk of developing the disease was 1.33, but this was not statistically significant. We discuss a possible protective function for CYP1B1 based on the high prevalence of this mutant SNP and its lack of association with UL.