EXPRESSION OF SEX-HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN EXON-VII SPLICING VARIANT MESSENGER-RNA IN HUMAN UTERINE ENDOMETRIUM

We have demonstrated the expression of sex hormone-binding globulin (S HBG) exon VII splicing variant mRNA in human uterine endometrium, usin g the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-Southern blot an d DNA sequencing analyses. Analysis of the missing base pairs correspo nded to the entire exon VII, which are considered to encode a portion of the steroid-binding site. Therefore, the steroid-binding affinity o f this variant might be different from that of the SHBG wild type. In uterine endometria, the wild-type and variant mRNA levels tended to in crease with the advance of the menstrual phase, but the ratio of the S HBG variant mRNA to SHBG wild-type mRNA levels showed no significant d ifference during the menstrual cycle. So far, there are no indications that the SHBG variant has any biological or clinical implications in human uterine endometrium. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights r eserved.