title: Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI1) and platelet glycoprotein IIIa (PGIIIa) polymorphisms in Black South Africans with pre-eclampsia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Association of fibrin abnormalities with pre-eclampsia prompted this study to examine whether polymorphisms in the plasminogen activator inhibitor Type 1 and platelet glycoprotein IIIa genes constitute risk factors for this condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 151 Black Zulu-speaking pre-eclamptics was examined for 4G/5G plasminogen activator inhibitor Type 1 and PlA1/A2 platelet glycoprotein IIIa polymorphic alleles using standard techniques. Results were compared with those found in 217 ethnically matched healthy normotensive pregnant women who had normal full-term gestations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-eclamptic patients had a slightly higher frequency of the 4G plasminogen activator inhibitor Type 1 allele (15%) compared with the controls (12%); this was reflected also in the heterozygote frequency (28% and 22%) for the patients and the controls, respectively. These differences were not significant. Only 2% of this population was found to be homozygous for the 4G allele. No differences were observed in the platelet glycoprotein IIIa polymorphism genotype and allele frequency distribution between the patients and the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neither the 4G allele of the plasminogen activator inhibitor Type 1 nor the PlA2 allele of the platelet glycoprotein IIIa have any significant role as risk factors in the patho-etiology of pre-eclampsia in Black South Africans, although these genes cannot yet be excluded as contributory to this disorder. It is possible that the underlying causes of pre-eclampsia may vary between different ethnic populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa. pegoraro@nu.ac.za
authors.forename: Rosemary J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pegoraro
authors.forename: Bavna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hira
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rom
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moodley
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D039661:Integrin beta3 / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D039661:Integrin beta3; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1