OBJECTIVE: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play are important role in modeling and remodeling the extracellular matrix in leiomyomas. Hence, the investigated whether associations exist between leiomyomas and promoter polymorphisms in the MMP-1 and MMP-9 genes in a Japanese population.
METHODS: We compared the distribution of polymorphisms in the promoter regions of MMP-1 (-1607 1G/2G) and MMP-9 (-1562 C/T) in 267 leiomyoma patients and 184 control patients using polymerase chain reaction-fragment-length polymorphism (PCP-RFLP) analysis.
RESULTS: The allele frequencies of the MMP-1 - 1607 2G and MMP-9 - 1562 T polymorphisms were 74.6% and 18.6% in leiomyoma patients, anal 71.3% and 18.6% in control patients, respectively. No signs scant differences in allele frequencies or genotype distributions were found between leiomyoma and control patients. Moreover, no associations were found between MMP-1 and MMP-9 genotypes and leiomyoma size or a family history of the condition.
CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that MMP-1 and MMP-9 promoter polymorphisms are unlikely to be associated with an increased risk of uterine leiomyomas in Japanese women.