A promoter mutation that increases transcription of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene is not associated with preterm delivery.
OBJECTIVE
Increased amniotic fluid concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha are observed in women with preterm labor and subsequent preterm birth. We tested whether a mutation in the promoter region of tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene, TNF T2, which increases transcription of the gene, is more frequent in a preterm delivery cohort.


METHODS
Deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted from whole blood of 203 women and 44 fetuses delivered at < 37 weeks of estimated gestational age. The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the promoter region of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene. The resulting polymerase chain product was subjected to allele-specific enzymatic digestion with Nco I. Fragments were size fractionated on a 3% Metaphor agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide. Results were analyzed with use of a chi 2 contingency table.


RESULTS
No statistically significant differences for either the TNF T1 or TNF T2 allele frequencies were found between women or fetuses delivered preterm compared with a control group or previously published allele frequencies.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of this tumor necrosis factor-alpha promoter mutation, TNF T2, is not increased in either women or fetuses delivered at < 37 weeks' gestation. Basal levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha are unlikely to affect a woman's risk of preterm delivery. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha variants should not be used as a predictive test for preterm delivery.
Dizon-Townson
D S
DS
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132, USA.
Major
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Varner
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Ward
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001724:Birth Weight; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004247:DNA