@article{Bakas_Liapis_Vlahopoulos_Giner_Logotheti_Creatsas_Meligova_2008, title={Estrogen receptor α and β in uterine fibroids: a basis for altered estrogen responsiveness}, volume={90}, archiveLocation={Ινστιτούτο Χημικής Βιολογίας - Επιστημονικό έργο}, url={https://hdl.handle.net/10442/7330}, DOI={10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.09.019}, abstractNote={Objective: To investigate the relative expression and the DNA-binding status of estrogen receptors a and b in fibroids and normal myometrial tissue to explore the molecular basis of altered estrogen responsiveness of leiomyomas. Design: Biopsy samples from uterine fibroids and adjacent normal myometrial tissue at the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Setting: Aretaieio University Hospital and the National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece. Patient(s): Thirty-five patients who underwent hysterectomy or myomectomy because of myoma symptoms. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Deoxyribonucleic acid–binding status of estrogen receptors a and b. Result(s): The level of messenger RNA expression of estrogen receptor a and b and the level of estrogen receptor as a whole are increased on average to a similar extent in leiomyomas compared with normal myometrium. Occasionally, however, estrogen receptor a is disproportionately increased in leiomyomas, and this appears to increase the amount of estrogen receptor a that binds to the estrogen-responsive element of estrogen target genes as homodimer rather than as heterodimer with estrogen receptor b. Conclusion(s): The estrogen receptor a–to–estrogen receptor b expression ratio rather than the individual expression levels determines the fraction of DNA-binding homodimers of estrogen receptor a and possibly the growth potential of myomas.}, number={5}, journal={Fertility and Sterility}, author={Bakas, Panagiotis and Liapis, Angelos and Vlahopoulos, Spiros and Giner, Maria and Logotheti, Stella and Creatsas, Georgios and Meligova, Aggeliki K.}, year={2008}, month={Nov}, pages={1878–1885} }