title: Lack of consistent association between endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms, homocysteine levels and recurrent pregnancy loss in tunisian women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Polymorphisms of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene have been associated with reduced vascular NO production or increased level of homocysteine, and evaluated as risk factors for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Therefore, in this case-control study, we aimed to determine the effects of some eNOS functional polymorphisms: the 27-bp intron 4 repeat, the 894G/T of exon 7, and the promoter substitution -786T/C, in women with RPL.
  
  
  METHODS
  We genotyped 350 patients with RPL and 200 healthy women by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism-PCR (RFLP-PCR). The homocysteine total plasma concentrations (tHcy) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the eNOS polymorphisms-related alleles, genotypes, and haplotypes were associated with RPL. The tHcy were similar between patients and controls; no significant association between tHcy levels and eNOS genotypes could be evidenced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study identified a lack of association between eNOS gene polymorphisms, the risk of RPL and tHcy levels.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit of Biology and Genetics of Cancer, Haematological and Autoimmune Diseases, Faculty of Pharmacy of Monastir, Monastir University, Monastir, Tunisia. zammiti_pharmacie@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zammiti
authors.forename: Nabil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mtiraoui
authors.forename: Touhami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mahjoub
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D004247:DNA; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III