Analysis of human leukocyte antigen-G polymorphism including intron 4 in Japanese couples with habitual abortion.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to clarify whether there is a difference between the allele frequency of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G in healthy Japanese people and that of Japanese couples with habitual abortion.


METHODS
Exons 2, 3, 4, and intron 4 of the HLA-G gene were analyzed in 20 couples with habitual abortion, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Intron 4 of the HLA-G gene was also analyzed in 54 healthy individuals. The nucleotide sequence of the PCR product of intron 4 was further determined by direct sequencing.


RESULTS
Two kinds of nucleotide sequence were identified in intron 4 of the HLA-G gene, one of which was identical to that of HLA-G*01011, and the other was identical to that of HLA-G*01012, G*01013, and G*0104. The frequency of each allele in affected women and their husbands did not significantly differ from that of healthy individuals, and no mutation was found in any affected couple.


CONCLUSIONS
HLA-G allelic abnormality seemed to have little, if any, implication in the pathogenesis of habitual abortion.
Yamashita
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Fujii
T
T
Tokunaga
K
K
Tadokoro
K
K
Hamai
Y
Y
Miki
A
A
Kozuma
S
S
Juji
T
T
Taketani
Y
Y
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D011247:Pregnancy; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D006680:HLA Antigens; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I