Uterine myomas are common benign tumors of the female genital tract. The expression of growth factor signal transduction cascade components including the protooncogenes c-myc, c-fos, and c-jun seem to be involved in the development of myomas. PURPOSE: To compare the gene (mRNA) and protein expression of the protooncogenes c-fos, c-myc, and c-jun in human normal myometrium and leiomyoma. METHOD: A case-control study was performed. Samples were collected from 12 patients submitted to hysterectomy at the Hospital de Clínicas at Porto Alegre. The expression of the specific mRNA for c-myc, c-fos, c-jun, and beta-microglobulin was assessed through the RT-PCR technique, using specific primers to each gene. The protein expression of these protooncogenes was evaluated through the Western blot technique with specific antibodies. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed in the gene expression for these protooncogenes between normal myometrium and leiomyoma (c-myc: 0,87 ± 0,08 vs 0,87 ± 0,08, p = 0,952; c-fos: 1,10 ± 0,17 vs 1,01 ± 0,11, p = 0,21; c-jun: 1,03 ± 0,12 vs 0,96 ± 0,09, p = 0,168, respectively). No statiscally significant difference was observed for the protein expression of these protooncogenes between normal myometrium and leiomyoma (c-myc: 1,36 ± 0,48 vs 1,53 ± 0,29, p = 0,569; c-fos: 8,85 ± 5,5 vs 6,56 ± 4,22, p = 0,434; e c-jun: 6,47 ± 3,04 vs 5,42 ± 2,03, p = 0,266, respectively). CONCLUSION: No difference was observed in the gene expression (transcription) nor in the protein expression (translation) of the protooncogenes c-myc, c-fos, and c-jun between leiomyoma and myometrium.
Myometrium; Leiomyoma; Myoma; Growth factors; Proto-oncogenes; Genic expression
