Association of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms with endometrial carcinoma: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between specific endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene polymorphisms and endometrial cancer (ECa).
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 89 patients histologically diagnosed with the endometrioid type of endometrial carcinoma. The control group consisted of 60 randomly selected individuals who had undergone total hysterectomy. Genomic DNA was isolated from paraffin-embedded endometrial tissues. We investigated the G894T polymorphisms (G894T) and variable number tandem repeats polymorphisms in intron 4 (VNTR intron 4) in the eNOS gene by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the two groups were compared.
RESULTS: Analysis of the VNTR intron 4 polymorphisms in eNOS gene revealed that the frequency of the AA genotype was significantly higher in the control group, whereas the frequency of the BB genotype was significantly higher in the ECa group. Analysis of the G894T polymorphisms in eNOS gene revealed a significantly higher frequency of the GG genotype in the control group but a significantly higher frequency of the TT genotype in the endometrial cancer group.
CONCLUSION: The G894T and VNTR intron 4 polymorphisms in eNOS gene could be an intriguing susceptibility factor that modulates an individual's risk of ECa in the Turkish population.