Abstract 4696: Endometrial receptivity markers in patients with uterine fibroids and their correlation with air pollution exposure

Abstract Uterine leiomyomas (LM) are the most frequent benign tumors in women of reproductive age. They are associated with infertility, pelvic pain, abnormal uterine bleeding and represent a public health challenge. LM are over 4 times more common in African-descendent women. Additionally, this tumor constitutes a major health and financial burden in several countries. Similar to many pathologies, environmental exposure contributes to their origin and development. Air pollution acts as a disruptor in the hormonal activity and in other key pathways leading to enhanced tumor progression and making possible pregnancies difficult. In this study, we evaluated LM samples from women resident in urban (high exposure area) and no-urban areas (low or negative exposure area) for the expression of genes related to endometrial receptivity. We selected a total of 100 patients and among them twenty fill the specific profile of those exposed or not exposed to air pollution. mRNA expression analysis was performed using an array composed by 84 receptivity-related genes (Array Code: CLAH27251A, Qiagen, USA). Gene expression analyses showed PRLR, LITAF, COL6A3, HOXA11, KLRC1, UBE2A e IGFBP5 with higher fold expression (fold >2) in the exposed group. On the other hand, PENK, CALB2, DUOX1, COMP, CXCL14, CTNNA2, TCN1, S100P, WNT5A, ERBB2, MTNR1B and EFNA1 were dowregulated in these samples (fold < - 4). Several other genes exhibited differential regulation between exposed and non-exposed group of patients, but with lower significance. Our results corroborate the expected for these populations, since it is known that women resident in areas with high air pollution have reproductive complications and higher tendency to tumors development. However, this work is the first evidence of the impairment of endometrial receptivity in uterine LM patients associated to air pollution in Brazil. Further studies are ongoing to validate and elucidate the specific roles of these genes in uterine LM origin and development, as well as their reproductive function in this population. Citation Format: Dara O. Ferreira, Giovana D. Maffazioli, Edmund C. Baracat, Katia C. Carvalho. Endometrial receptivity markers in patients with uterine fibroids and their correlation with air pollution exposure [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4696.