Vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms and idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether four common polymorphisms (-2578C/A, -1154G/A, -634G/C, and 936C/T) of the gene encoding for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are associated with idiopathic recurrent miscarriage.


METHODS
Prospective case-control study.


METHODS
University teaching hospital.


METHODS
Fifty-two patients with a history of three or more unexplained consecutive pregnancy losses and 82 healthy, postmenopausal controls with at least two live births and no history of pregnancy loss.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis were performed to identify the different VEGF alleles.


RESULTS
There was a significant difference in the -1154G/A genotype and allele frequency between women with recurrent pregnancy loss and controls. The risk of recurrent pregnancy loss was lower in the carriers of the G allele than in women carrying the A allele (odds ratio = 1.91, 95% confidence interval, 0.12-3.28). No significant association between recurrent spontaneous abortions and -2578C/A, -634G/C, and 936C/T genotypes was found. Between women with primary and secondary idiopathic recurrent miscarriage, no statistically significant differences with respect to allele frequencies were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report on VEGF gene polymorphisms in women with recurrent miscarriage, demonstrating that the -1154G/A VEGF gene polymorphism is associated with idiopathic recurrent abortions.
Papazoglou
Dimitrios
D
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Patriarhou Grigoriou 97-99, Alexandroupolis 68100, Greece. dapap@otenet.gr
Galazios
Georgios
G
Papatheodorou
Konstantinos
K
Liberis
Vasilios
V
Papanas
Nikolaos
N
Maltezos
Efstratios
E
Maroulis
Georgios B
GB
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017354:Point Mutation; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A