GnRH analogues and uterine leiomyomas - Effect of hormone replacement therapy on cell proliferation

Cell proliferation in uterine leiomyomas treated preoperatively with either nafarelin (400 mu g/day) for 3 months (7 patients) or nafarelin plus hormo ne (oestradiol + norethisterone) add-back therapy (6 patients) was investig ated by automatic image analysis of frozen tissue sections using immunohist ochemistry with anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen antibody. GnRHa the rapy decreased cell proliferation in leiomyomas to a level corresponding to the situation previously seen in postmenopausal leiomyomas, However, there was no consistent correlation between cell proliferation and shrinkage of leiomyomal size. The hormone add-back therapy moderated the influence of Gn RHa on cell proliferation and completely blocked a decrease in size of leio myomas in our patients. Copyright (C) 1999 S.Karger AG, Basel.