Genetic Variations May Link Risk of Endometriosis and Ovarian Cancer

Identifying genetic risk factors that are common to the two diseases might help scientists better understand the molecular events associated with the development of both diseases, and potentially develop treatments that could treat both diseases.

Variations in a gene called HNF1B could be linked to the risk of endometriosis, according to a study published in the medical journal Gynecologic Oncology.

Previous studies had identified the same genetic variation as a risk factor for ovarian cancer.

Identifying genetic risk factors that are common to the two diseases might help scientists better understand the molecular events associated with the development of both diseases, and potentially develop treatments that could treat both diseases.

The researchers genetically analyzed a total of 385 patients with endometriosis and 484 healthy volunteers. They looked at 12 different genetic variations that are known to be associated with the risk of ovarian cancer. They found that only a variation in the HNF1B gene, called rs11651755, was associated with endometriosis, while none of the other variations linked to ovarian cancer were found to be associated with endometriosis.

The researchers concluded that HNF1B may play a role in endometriosis and possibility its development into ovarian cancer.

“HNF1B represents a reasonably well known gene that can help promote this research in the field of endometriosis and ovarian cancer,” wrote Dr. Stefanie Burghaus and the co-authors of the study.

More research is needed in order to validate the results of this study and identify factors that might drive (or inhibit) the development of ovarian cancer through endometriosis, the researchers added.

The HNF1B gene encodes for a transcription factor, or a protein that controls the expression of other genes. Previous research has shown that variations in HNF1B might also be involved in other diseases such as liver dysfunction, endometrial cancer, and prostate cancer.

Research Source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0090825817301439