The genetic predisposition to produce high levels of TGF-beta1 impacts on the severity of eclampsia/pre-eclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the hypothesis that women who are genetically programmed to produce higher levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 are more likely to develop severe eclampsia/pre-eclampsia.


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
Blood samples from women whose pregnancy was complicated by eclampsia (n=37) or pre-eclampsia (n=49) and healthy controls (n=86) were analyzed for the presence of polymorphisms at codons 10 and 25 of the transforming growth factor-beta 1 gene. The polymorphisms are thought to determine whether an individual produces low, medium, or high levels of the cytokine. The analysis was carried out using the ARMS-PCR technique.


RESULTS
Women who developed eclampsia/pre-eclampsia with severe renal and neurological complications or had neonatal deaths/still births were more likely to have the high-producer allele T in codon 10 of the transforming growth factor-beta 1 gene than healthy controls. By contrast, the transforming growth factor-beta 1 producer genotype and allele frequency as determined by gene polymorphisms at codon 25 were comparable in cases and controls. The cytokine producer status per se appears to had no bearing on whether a patient developed eclampsia/pre-eclampsia.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that women who experience eclampsia/pre-eclampsia with severe maternal and/or fetal complications are more likely to have a genetic predisposition to produce high levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 as defined by polymorphisms at codon 10. While it is recognized that eclampsia/pre-eclampsia has heterogenous pathomechanisms, we have demonstrated a strong relationship between poor maternal and pregnancy outcomes and codon 10 polymorphisms. The characterization of the immunogenetic make-up of the women may be an additional tool in the differentiation of component pathologies and/or prediction of severity of the syndrome.
Stanczuk
Grazyna A
GA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe. grazyna87@hotmail.com
Mccoy
Melanie J
MJ
Hutchinson
Ian V
IV
Sibanda
Elopy N
EN
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013577:Syndrome; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D015030:Zimbabwe
D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1