Expression of estrogen and progesterone receptor genes in endometrium, myometrium and vagina of postmenopausal women treated with estriol

Authors

  • Magdalena Bryś University of Lodz
  • Krzysztof Szyłło University of Lodz
  • Hanna Romanowicz-Makowska University of Lodz
  • Zbigniew Dobrowolski University of Lodz
  • Izabela Masłowska University of Lodz
  • Wanda Krajewska University of Lodz

Keywords:

Receptors, estrogen, Receptors, progesterone, Estriol, Hormone replacement therapy, Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction

Abstract

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Estriol is an estrogen with considerably weaker stimulatory effects on endometrial proliferation than estradiol. A study was conducted to determine the level of estrogen receptors (ERs) and progesterone receptors (PRs) in women who received 14-day vaginal estriol therapy, compared with those who did not receive this therapy. ER and PR gene expression was analyzed in the endometrium, myometrium and vagina of postmenopausal women treated with estriol. DESIGN AND SETTING: Analytical cross-sectional study, at the Research Institute of the Polish Mothers’ Memorial Hospital, Lodz, Poland. METHODS: Twenty-seven postmenopausal women (57-74 years of age) were included in the study. All of them were waiting for per vaginam hysterectomy or plastic surgery on the vagina and perineum because of uterine prolapse. ER and PR gene expression was determined by means of the technique of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: In the estriol-treated patients, in comparison with the control group, a significant increase in ER gene expression was observed in the endometrium and vagina, while enhanced PR gene expression was found in the endometrium. However, under histological examination of the endometrium, estrogen stimulation of low and medium degree was diagnosed for 21.4% and 14.3% of the estriol-treated women, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results obtained suggest that the women who received 14 days of treatment with vaginal estriol had higher ER and PR mRNA levels. No difference between these groups regarding endometrial proliferation was observed.

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Author Biographies

Magdalena Bryś, University of Lodz

PhD. Associate professor and project leader, Department of Cytobiochemistry, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.

Krzysztof Szyłło, University of Lodz

MD. Assistant professor, Department of Surgical Gynecology, Research Institute of the Polish Mothers’ Memorial Hospital, Lodz, Poland.

Hanna Romanowicz-Makowska, University of Lodz

MD. Pathologist, Department of Pathology, Research Institute of the Polish Mothers’ Memorial Hospital, Lodz, Poland.

Zbigniew Dobrowolski, University of Lodz

MD. Gynecologist, Department of Surgical Gynecology, Research Institute of the Polish Mothers’ Memorial Hospital, Lodz, Poland.

Izabela Masłowska, University of Lodz

PhD. Researcher, Department of Cytobiochemistry, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.

Wanda Krajewska, University of Lodz

PhD. Professor and supervisor, Department of Cytobiochemistry, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.

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Published

2009-05-05

How to Cite

1.
Bryś M, Szyłło K, Romanowicz-Makowska H, Dobrowolski Z, Masłowska I, Krajewska W. Expression of estrogen and progesterone receptor genes in endometrium, myometrium and vagina of postmenopausal women treated with estriol. Sao Paulo Med J [Internet]. 2009 May 5 [cited 2025 Mar. 14];127(3):128-33. Available from: https://periodicosapm.emnuvens.com.br/spmj/article/view/1868

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