[Epidermal growth factor (EGF) in uterine leiomyoma during tumour growth].

OBJECTIVES

Extracellular matrix is a place where various growth factors are bound and immobilised. It is expected that leiomyoma-associated remodelling of extracellular matrix in the uterus may be evoked by changes in the content of some growth factors.

DESIGN

The amount and distribution of EGF in the normal myometrium and in the leiomyoma during various growth stages were investigated.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The assay of EGF was carried out with the use of ELISA commercial kit. SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of tissue extracts followed by Western immunoblot was performed.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

It was found that all investigated tissues contained endogenous EGE Extractability of EGF depended on type of extracting solvent. Only slight amount of EGF could be extracted by 1 M acetic acid. Much more EGF could be solubilized in 0.05M Tris/HCl, pH 7.6. Our results showed that EGF bound to the uterus (normal and leiomyoma) components of different molecular mass. It is of interest that some components of both, acidic and neutral extracts (myometrium and leiomyomas) were not able to bind exogenous 125I-labelled EGF.