A polymorphism of the interleukin-1beta gene and idiopathic recurrent miscarriage.
OBJECTIVE
Proinflammatory cytokines have been described to be involved in the pathogenesis of idiopathic recurrent miscarriage (IRM). We investigated the association between IRM and a polymorphism in exon 5 of the interleukin-1beta gene (IL1B) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) serum levels.


METHODS
Case control study.


METHODS
Academic research institution.


METHODS
One hundred thirty-one women with a history of three or more consecutive pregnancy losses before 20 weeks' gestation and 68 healthy controls with at least two live births and no history of pregnancy loss.


METHODS
Peripheral venous puncture.


METHODS
An IL1B exon 5 (position +3953) gene polymorphism was analyzed by PCR amplification followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. IL-1beta serum levels were analyzed by a commercially available ELISA.


RESULTS
Allele frequencies in women with IRM and controls were 77.9% and 80.8%, respectively, for the E1 allele (wild type), and 22.1% and 19.2%, respectively, for the E2 allele (mutant). No association between the E2 allele and the occurrence of IRM was found (P=.57, odds ratio =.83). Genotype frequencies and IL-1beta serum levels were not significantly different between the study group and the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report on an IL1B polymorphism in IRM. Although known to alter IL-1beta expression, the investigated IL1B polymorphism is not associated with IRM and increased serum levels in a large Caucasian population.
Hefler
L A
LA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria.
Tempfer
C B
CB
Unfried
G
G
Schneeberger
C
C
Lessl
K
K
Nagele
F
F
Huber
J C
JC
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D007375:Interleukin-1