The 3´-untranslated ApaI-Insulin-like Growth Factor II Gene (IGF2) Polymorphism in Women with Uterine Leiomyomas

摘要: OBJECTIVE To explore a possible association between the rare allele A of the single nucleotide polymorphism in the 3-untranslated region of the insulin-like growth factor II gene (IGF2), previously described as being associated with growth dysregulation, higher body mass index (BMI), and elevated risk of uterine leiomyomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS A series of 144 women (72 clinically and histologically confirmed uterine leiomyomas and 72 without leiomyomas) was analyzed by a PCR-RFLP (Polimerase Chain Reaction–Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) based approach to detect a single nucleotide polymorphism in the 3-untranslated region of the gene IGF2. Genotypic and allelic frequencies distributions in both groups were compared with weight, height, and BMI. RESULTS No statistically significant differences in the genotype and allelic frequencies between patients and controls were observed. Similarly, the distribution of genotypes and weight, height, and BMI did not differ significantly between the two groups although the weight and BMI were lower in leiomyomas patients homozygous for allele A. CONCLUSIONS The ApaI polymorphism of the IGF2 gene does not produce different risk for leiomyoma development. Our data suggest that the deviations related in the genotypic frequencies for this polymorphism among women with uterine leiomyomas is not correlated with BMI and that previous associations were probably a result of chance statistical sampling present in a small studied group.