Clonal determination of uterine leiomyomas by analyzing differential inactivation of the X-chromosome-linked phosphoglycerokinase gene.

To investigate the clonality of uterine leiomyomas, we developed a PCR-based method involving the differential inactivation of the X-chromosome-linked phosphoglycerokinase (PGK) gene. Small DNA samples of 22 leiomyomas from 9 Japanese patients, showing heterozygosity at the BstXI site of the PGK gene, were digested with the methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme HpaII. Only the inactive (methylated) PGK gene allele was selectively amplified by PCR followed by digestion with BstXI and electrophoresis. All leiomyoma samples consisted of a single type of inactive allele, even though alleles were detected that were specific to each nodule. The results indicated that all leiomyoma nodules were unicellular in origin but independently generated in the uterus.