EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR AND TRANSFORMING GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA IN UTERINE FIBROIDS AND MYOMETRIUM

Fibroids (leiomyomata) are the commonest tumours in women, but their a etiology is unknown. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming gr owth factor-beta (TGF beta) may be important factors involved in fibro id growth. We examined the mRNA expression of these two growth factors in fibroids and corresponding myometrium from 20 women who underwent hysterectomy because of fibroids. We also examined these factors in sa mples of fibroids from 9 women who underwent myomectomy after pretreat ment with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists. We found tha t both factors were expressed in the three types of tissue examined. W e also found that there was no difference in the relative abundance of either of the two growth factors between the tissues studied. Despite the lack of difference, we postulate that EGF and TGF beta may be imp ortant in fibroid growth because of a possible interaction between the two factors in this tissue.