title: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 C --> T polymorphism, plasma folate, vitamin B(12) concentrations, and risk of preeclampsia among black African women from Zimbabwe.
abstract: We conducted a case control study at Harare Maternity Hospital, Zimbabwe. We genotyped a total of 171 cases with preeclampsia or eclampsia and 185 normotensive control subjects for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677 C --> T genotype. The wild-type allele frequency among cases and controls was 91.2 and 91.3%, respectively. Only one subject (0.3%) was homozygous for the 677 C --> T MTHFR genotype and this subject had preeclampsia. After adjustment for confounding factors, there was statistically no significant association between maternal MTHFR genotype and risk of preeclampsia (adjusted odds ratio = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.5-1.9). In addition, plasma homocyst(e)ine, vitamin B(12), and folate concentrations were not statistically different between normotensive control subjects with wild-type genotype as compared with normotensive subjects who were heterozygous for the mutant allele. Conversely, there was a strong graded association between maternal plasma folate concentration and risk of preeclampsia. Women with plasma folate concentrations less than 5.7 nmol/L experienced a 10. 4-fold increase in risk of preeclampsia. There was no clear pattern of preeclampsia risk and vitamin B(12) concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA. rajkovic@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajkovic
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahomed
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rozen
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Malinow
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D016017:Odds Ratio; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D014805:Vitamin B 12