Antioxidant status in women with uterine leiomyoma: relation with sex hormones.

Snežana Pejić,Ljubica Gavrilović,Vesna Stojiljković,Snežana B Pajović,Ana Todorović,Nataša Popović

doi:10.1590/0001-3765201520130416

Snežana Pejić, Ljubica Gavrilović + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765201520130416

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Abstract

Uterine leiomyomas are benign soft-tissues tumors that arise from uterine smooth muscle tissue. Etiopathogenesis of leiomyomas is not well understood. We aimed to examine whether antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid hydroperoxides level in patients with leiomyoma are influenced by changes in sex hormones and gonadotropins (estradiol (E2), progesterone, FSH, and LH) during menstrual cycle and in postmenopause. The material consisted of blood and uterine tissue specimens. Hormone concentrations were determined and assays for superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities and lipid hydroperoxides concentration were performed. In blood of examined women, a significant difference in catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activity was recorded among the phases. There was also a positive correlation between the estradiol/progesterone concentration and the catalase activity. Progesterone negatively correlated with lipid hydroperoxides level. In myoma tissue, we recorded a phase-related difference in lipid hydroperoxides level and activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase activities, and glutathione reductase. Negative correlation was observed between FSH and glutathione peroxidase. The results suggest that antioxidant status in patients with uterine leiomyoma is influenced by the changes in sex hormones during the menstrual cycle and in postmenopause, indicating a role of the observed relationship in the leiomyoma etiology.

Highlights

Uterine leiomyomas are benign soft-tissues tumors that arise from uterine smooth muscle tissue and they are called myomas or uterine fibroids
The aim of this study was to examine whether AO enzyme activities and lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) level in patients with uterine leiomyoma are influenced by changes in sex hormones during the menstrual cycle and in postmenopause
This study shows the changes of AO enzymes activities and LOOH level in blood and uterine leiomyoma tissue of cycling women, and women in postmenopause

Summary

Introduction

Uterine leiomyomas are benign soft-tissues tumors that arise from uterine smooth muscle tissue (myometrium) and they are called myomas or uterine fibroids. As non-cancerous growth arising from myometrium, leiomyomas are unrelated to the common forms of uterine cancer and uterine cervical cancer which typically than Caucasian, Asian or Hispanic women, as well as significantly higher serum levels of estrone (E1), estradiol (E2) and free E2 (Blake 2007). The growth of uterine leiomyomas is considered to be influenced by estrogen (E2), growth hormone, and progesterone. Such dependence is indicated by the fact that most of these tumors are diagnosed during the reproductive years when they exhibit maximum growth, and regress after menopause (Evans and Brunsell 2007). Many investigations indicated differences between non-transformed and leiomyoma tissue concentrations of estrogens and progesterone and their respective receptors (ER-α, ER-β and PR-A, PR-B) (Ciavattini et al 2013). Leiomyomas may occasionally increase in size during pregnancy, which can be caused by hormones, and by increased blood flow and edema (Wallach and Vlahos 2004)

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