Background: Endometriosis is a common disorder that affects 6-10% of reproductive age women. In a previous study, we demonstrated that a polymorphism in let-7 microRNA-binding site in the 3' untranslated region of the KRAS gene was found in 31% of subjects with endometriosis resistant to medical therapy. This polymorphism was now tested in a large, case-control study.
Methods: Peripheral blood or peritoneal biopsies from 2,077 European subjects with or without endometriosis and known infertility were tested for the presence of the variant allele using polymerase chain reaction.
Results: Histologically proven endometriosis was found in 1,140 subjects, while 937 subjects were disease free. Variant allele carrier rates in subjects with and without endometriosis were 15.7 and 15.1%, respectively. No association between the variant KRAS allele and stage of the disease, age at surgery, body mass index, or type of infertility was identified.
Conclusion: A germ-line single-nucleotide polymorphism in the let-7 microRNA-binding site of the KRAS gene was not associated with sporadic endometriosis in an infertile Caucasian population in this large case-control study. However, it remains possible that this gene variant may be a marker of treatment resistance. Further studies on the role of this polymorphism in endometriosis are needed.
Keywords: Endometriosis; KRAS; Single-nucleotide polymorphism.
© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.