Lack of consistent association between endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms, homocysteine levels and recurrent pregnancy loss in tunisian women.
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.
Zammiti
Walid
W
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
Mtiraoui
Nabil
N
Mahjoub
Touhami
T
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
D006710:Homocysteine; D004247:DNA; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III