Endometriosis Knowledgebase


A repository for genes associated with endometriosis

Results


PMID 12788899
Gene Name FGF2
Condition Endometriosis
Association Associated
Population size 53
Population details 53 (29 women without endometriosis, 24 patients affected by the disease)
Sex Female
Associated genes FGF, FGF-AS
Other associated phenotypes Endometriosis
Different basic fibroblast growth factor and fibroblast growth factor-antisense expression in eutopic endometrial stromal cells derived from women with and without endometriosis.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Jun;88(6):2853-9.

Mihalich, A| Reina, M| Mangioni, S| Ponti, E| Alberti, L| Vigano, P| Vignali, M| Di Blasio, A M

Molecular Biology Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20135 Milan, Italy.

In all species studied, the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) gene is transcribed into multiple mRNAs, one of which is an antisense RNA (1B FGF-AS) probably involved in regulating the stability of the sense transcript. In this study we investigated whether the regulatory mechanisms of bFGF expression might be altered in endometrial stromal cells derived from women with endometriosis. bFGF and 1B FGF-AS mRNA levels were quantified in primary cultures of eutopic endometrial stromal cells derived from 29 women without endometriosis and 24 patients affected by the disease. When the data were analyzed according to the phase of the menstrual cycle, endometrial stromal cells derived from patients in the late proliferative phase showed significantly higher bFGF mRNA values and significantly lower 1B FGF-AS mRNA levels compared with control samples. Furthermore, the mean bFGF/1B FGF-AS mRNA ratio was significantly higher in endometrial stromal cells derived from patients compared with that in controls (mean +/- SEM, 2.31 +/- 0,55 and 0.77 +/- 0.14, respectively; P = 0.009). Moreover, for bFGF expression the differences existing at the mRNA level were maintained at the protein level. These findings support the hypothesis that 1B FGF-AS mRNA could regulate the expression of the sense transcript and suggest that in endometrial cells derived from patients, the presence of higher bFGF levels could improve their ability to proliferate at the ectopic site.

Mesh Terms: Base Sequence/genetics| Cells, Cultured| Endometriosis/*metabolism/pathology| Endometrium/*metabolism/pathology| Female| Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/*genetics/*metabolism| Fibroblast Growth Factors/*genetics/*metabolism| Follicular Phase| Humans|