Analysis of DNA methylation and its correlation with mRNA expression of epidermal growth factor receptor encoding for cytoskeleton regulating protein in peritoneal endometriosis tissue

It has been known that the EGFR have the role for regulation the cytoskeleton activity and its expression increased in endometriosis tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the DNA methylation of the EGFR gene that might cause the alteration of its mRNA expression in peritoneal endometriosis tissue. Samples were peritoneal endometriosis tissue from 20 endometriosis patients and 20 female of non-endometriosis patients. The DNA methylation of the EGFR gene was analyzed by the method of Methylation Specific PCR and ImageJ software, while its expression of mRNA were analyzed by the method of qRT-PCR. The DNA methylation in the EGFR gene in peritoneal endometriosis tissues increased compared to normal endometrial tissues (peritoneal endometriosis tissue = 56%, normal endometriosis tissue = 19%). The expression of mRNA EGFR gene in endometriosis peritoneal tissues was 1.341 fold increased relative to normal endometrium. There is no significant correlation between the DNA methylation with expression of mRNA EGFR (p = 0.947 and r = -0.016). Increasing of EGFR mRNA expression in endometriosis tissue that was not caused by alteration of its DNA methylation, have to play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.