Problem: To investigate whether the glutathione-S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) exon 5 polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to advanced stage endometriosis in Korean women.
Method of study: Case-control study in a collective of 260 patients and 164 controls. Genotyping of the GSTP1 exon 5 polymorphism was performed by using real-time TaqMan PCR assay.
Results: The genotype distribution of the GSTP1 exon 5 polymorphism in the endometriosis group was not significantly different from that of the control group (AA/AG/GG rates were 64.2%/32.7%/3.1% and 65.2%/31.7%/3.0% for the endometriosis and control groups, respectively, P = 0.977). Further subgroup analysis according to either stage or bilaterality of ovarian endometrioma also found no significant difference in the genotype distribution between any of the endometriosis subgroups and the control group.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that the GSTP1 exon 5 polymorphism is not a major determinant of the development of advanced stage endometriosis in the Korean population.