beta2-Adrenergic receptor genotype and preterm delivery.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine whether the functional genetic polymorphisms of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (beta(2)AR) that result in changes in amino acid residues 16 and 27 are associated with preterm delivery.


METHODS
A case-control study comparing the distribution of beta(2)AR genotype between 251 Hispanic women delivered at term and 28 Hispanic women delivered preterm. Preterm delivery was defined as spontaneous onset of labor resulting in delivery before 37 weeks of gestation, in a singleton pregnancy, with no apparent etiology for preterm labor and delivery. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood, and beta( 2)AR alleles were identified by established techniques.


RESULTS
Only one woman (4%) with preterm labor was homozygous for Arg16 versus 79 (31%) in the control group (P =.01, odds ratio 0.08). There was no association of preterm labor with genotype at position 27.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data demonstrate that homozygosity for Arg16, which in vitro is associated with decreased down-regulation of the beta(2)AR, protects from preterm delivery.
Landau
Ruth
R
Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA.
Xie
Hong-Guang
HG
Dishy
Victor
V
Stein
C Micheal
CM
Wood
Alastair J J
AJ
Emala
Charles W
CW
Smiley
Richard M
RM
D000328:Adult; D001120:Arginine; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000235:genetics*
D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D001120:Arginine