Molecular genetics and racial disparities of uterine leiomyomas

Essam Eldin R. Othman, Ayman Al-Hendy

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

59 Scopus citations

Abstract

Uterine leiomyomas (ULMs) are benign oestrogen-dependent tumours of the myometrium. They are the most common tumours of the female genital tract, affecting around 77% of the female population. ULMs are more common in Black women than White women. These tumours tend to develop earlier and be more numerous, larger in size and more symptomatic in Black women than other ethnic groups. The molecular mechanism underlying this ethnic disparity is not fully understood. Polymorphism of genes involved in oestrogen synthesis and/or metabolism (COMT, CYP17), variation in the expression levels or function of oestrogen and progesterone receptors or retinoic acid nuclear receptors (retinoid acid receptor-α, retinoid X receptor-α), or aberrant expression of micro-RNAs are some of the molecular mechanisms that may be involved.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)589-601
Number of pages13
JournalBest Practice and Research: Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Volume22
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • leiomyoma
  • molecular genetics
  • race

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Molecular genetics and racial disparities of uterine leiomyomas'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this