Identification, quantification and fine structural characterization of glycosaminoglycans from uterine leiomyoma and normal myometrium.

The type, amount and fine chemical composition of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) present both in human normal myometrium and uterine leiomyoma have been studied. GAGs were fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, isolated by gel-permeation chromatography on Sepharose CL-6B and characterized using electrophoresis in cellulose acetate membranes, specific enzymic treatments and analysis by high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE). No statistical intrabatch differences in total GAG content in both tissues were identified, whereas significant interbatch differences between normal myometrium and uterine leiomyoma were recorded. Hyaluronan (HA), chondroitin sulphate (CS), dermatan sulphate (DS), heparan sulphate (HS) and keratan sulphate (KS) were identified in both tissues. Statistically significant (P </= 0.001) differences in uterine leiomyoma in the content of HA (-27.7%), DS (+158.5%), KS (+116.4%) and HS (-52.5%), as compared to normal myometrium, were determined. Despite the differences in the amount of GAGs, no significant differences in the fine chemical composition of CS and DS were identified. It is worth noting that DS of both tissues is constructed by glucuronic acid-containing long repeats separated by a few iduronic acid residues. The results of this study suggest that the development of uterine leiomyoma is closely related to quantitative changes at the GAG level. The increase of DS and KS may well be related to increased neosynthesis of fibrotic connective tissue, whereas the decrease of HA and the unaltered amounts of CS may also indicate benign tumors of low growth rate.