title: Y chromosome length related to fetal loss.
abstract: The Y/20 ratio (length of Y chromosome/length of chromosome 20) was examined among 216 males, 108 of whose wives had a history of repeated abortions (study group), and 108 who were mentally retarded (controls). There was no significant difference in frequency of long Y (Y/20 equal to or greater than 1) between the study group and controls. Also, there was the expected male: female ratio among normal living children of couples in the study group, and the Y/20 ratio was not significantly increased among fathers with abnormal male offspring. However, wives of long Y males were more likely to have at least one abnormal male birth, compared with other wives (this approached statistical significance, p less than 0.08). In addition, a significantly higher frequency of long Y was found in a subset of affected males whose wives had 2 or more spontaneous abortions plus some other abnormal pregnancy outcome. Although the findings reported here do not strongly support a causal relationship, they at least suggest an association between long Y chromosome and abnormal fetal development.
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000235:genetics; D002903:Chromosomes, Human, 19-20 / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000235:genetics*; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012744:Sex Ratio; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000648:ultrastructure*