Possible involvement of the E-cadherin gene in genetic susceptibility to endometriosis

Abstract

Background: Endometriotic cells display invasive characteristics, despite their benign histological appearance. Recently, the epithelialmesenchymal transition, in which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal and migratory properties, has attracted attention as a mechanism of tumor invasion. We aimed to investigate the association between endometriosis and polymorphisms of the E-cadherin gene, a central player in the epithelialmesenchymal transition, in Japanese women. Methods Twelve single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the E-cadherin gene were identified by real-time polymerase chain reaction using a TaqMan assay in 511 women with endometriosis (the majority in Stages III and IV) and 498 healthy controls. Results Allele frequency analysis indicated that there was a marginally higher frequency of the rs4783689 C allele in women with endometriosis compared with controls (corrected P 0.007; odds ratio 1.37; 95 confidence interval, 1.141.64). No significant associations with endometriosis were found for the other 11 SNPs. Conclusions Although this study was limited by sample size, the E-cadherin gene polymorphism rs4783689 was marginally associated with endometriosis in the Japanese population, suggesting that E-cadherin might be involved in genetic susceptibility to endometriosis. © 2012 The Author.