title: An Angiopoietin-2 gene polymorphism in unexplained intrauterine fetal death: a multi-center study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) is a potent regulator of angiogenesis and vascular tone. As vascular processes have been proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of pregnancy associated complications such as late unexplained intrauterine fetal death (IUFD), we determined whether a common G/A polymorphism of the Ang-2 gene (ANGPT2) is associated with this condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a multicenter case-control study, we evaluated the common G/A polymorphism within exon 4 of the ANGPT2 gene using PCR in 90 women with IUFD and 90 healthy women with at least one uncomplicated full term pregnancy and no history of IUFD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genotype (p=0.2; OR=1.4 [0.8-2.6]) and allele frequencies (p=0.1; OR=1.4 [0.9-2.1]) of the ANGPT2 polymorphism did not differ between women with IUFD and healthy women. A multivariate regression analysis with smoking habits and preexisting diabetes as covariates did not change the results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We are the first to report on a common polymorphism of the ANGPT2 gene in patients with late IUFD. The investigated ANGPT2 poylmorphism does not seem to be a candidate gene for IUFD in Caucasian women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. ambros.huber@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Ambros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: Detlef
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pietrowski
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zeillinger
authors.forename: Hertha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bettendorf
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Husslein
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hefler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D042702:Angiopoietin-2