Genetic identification of multiple susceptibility genes involved in the development of endometrial carcinoma in a rat model

There are clear indications that inheritance plays an essential role in cer tain cases of human endometrial cancer, and there are at least 2 forms of e arly-onset heritable endometrial adenocarcinomas (EACs). Females of the BDI I inbred rat strain are known to be genetically predisposed to endometrial carcinoma, and we have performed a genetic analysis of susceptibility to en dometrial cancer in this strain. F-2 populations were generated by crossing BDII females with males from 2 different strains with a low incidence of E AC, and the occurrence of endometrial cancer was studied. Three chromosome regions associated to EAC susceptibility were identified, and the susceptib ility genes in these regions were designated Ecs1, Ecs2 and Ecs3. Our resul ts indicate that the genes affecting susceptibility to EAC are different in the 2 crosses, suggesting that the genes behind the susceptibility in BDII animals may interact with different genes in different genetic backgrounds . (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.