Relationship between platelet-derived growth factor expression in leiomyomas and uterine volume changes after gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment

Effects of Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Agonists on Uterine Volume and Vasculature and on the Immunohistochemical Expression of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) in Uterine Leiomyomas

“…This finding, in accord with the findings in other studies (12,23), could indicate a decrease in the volume of the smooth muscle cell cytoplasm or in the extracellular matrix. The finding in our study of abundant hyalinization in treated lesions concurs with the reports of others (26).…”

“…Basic fibroblast growth factor also is believed to be important for the maintenance of tumor blood supply (16), promoting angiogenesis by inducing endothelial cell migration and proliferation, chemotaxis, and remodeling of extracellular matrix (14). The effects of GnRH-a on leiomyomas might be mediated, at least in part, by their action on the expression of growth factors and/or of their receptors, directly or through the induction of the hypoestrogenic state (10,12). Data pertaining to the possible effects of GnRH-a administration on bFGF synthesis and expression in leiomyomas is scarce (13).…”

“…Epidermal growth factor (EGF) (8), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) (9), insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I/IGF-II) (10), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) (11,12), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) (9,13,14), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (15) have been shown to be involved in the growth of leiomyomas and myometrial smooth muscle cells and in angiogenesis, acting by autocrine, paracrine, or intracrine mechanisms (9) and by a complex cascade of interactions with steroid hormones (16). bFGF is a 18-KDa, single-chain nonglycosylated cationic polypeptide, expressed in muscle cells of the myometrium, leiomyomas, and blood vessels, as well as in endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and the extracellular matrix of leiomyomas (15,17).…”

Erythropoietin and erythropoietin receptor system in a large uterine myoma of a patient with myomatous erythrocytosis syndrome: possible relationship with the pathogenesis of unusual tumor size

“…Increasing evidence emphasize that this biologic mechanism is locally mediated by some growth factors [27][28][29][30][31] that, acting in an autocrine or paracrine manner, stimulate myoma growth mainly by mitogenic and angiogenic effects. A local deregulation of vasoactive growth factors or of their receptors has been hypothesized in the myomatous uterus [32].…”

Increased expression of platelet-derived growth factor C messenger ribonucleic acid in uterine leiomyomata

“…Although the precise etiology of uterine leiomyomata is still unknown, several growth factors such as transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b), connective tissue growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and PDGF have been reported to be involved in the growth of uterine leiomyomata (12)(13)(14)(15). Although two previous reports showed no differences in the levels of PDGF-A and PDGF-B mRNA expression between leiomyomata and myometrial tissues (16,17), PDGF-C was found to be up-regulated in leiomyoma samples compared with myometrial tissues from only five paired samples in one microarray study (18).…”