Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the alpha 2-Heremans Schmidt glycoprotein (AHSG) gene polymorphism and endometriosis.
Design: Case-control study.
Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea.
Patient(s): Seventy-nine women with endometriosis and 105 women without endometriosis.
Intervention(s): Determination of AHSG gene polymorphism.
Main outcome measure(s): Prevalence of AHSG genotypes or alleles.
Result(s): The allele frequencies of AHSG 1 and AHSG 2 were found to be 0.69 and 0.31, respectively. The proportion of noncarriers of the AHSG 2 allele was significantly higher in women with endometriosis than in women without (55.7% vs. 39.0%). Women not carrying the AHSG 2 allele were found to have twice the risk of endometriosis than those carrying at least one copy of this allele. No significant difference was noted in the distribution of the AHSG alleles or AHSG genotypes between early stage endometriosis and late stage endometriosis.
Conclusion(s): Endometriosis is associated with the AHSG gene polymorphism in Korean women.