Prolonged unconjugated hyperbiliriubinemia in breast-fed male infants with a mutation of uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyl transferase.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that a mutation in uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyl transferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) gene of breast-fed infants is a contributory factor to prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.


METHODS
Of 125 breast-fed term infants, 35 infants had prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia; another 90 breast-fed neonates without prolonged jaundice were control infants. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to detect the known variant sites (promoter area, nucleotides 211, 686, 1091, and 1456) of the UGT1A1 gene.


RESULTS
Of 35 breast-fed infants with prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia, 29 had at least 1 mutation of the UGT1A1 gene. Variation at nucleotide 211 was most common. The percentages of the neonates carrying the variant nucleotide 211 were significantly different between the prolonged hyperbilirubinemia group and control neonates. Male breast-fed infants had a higher risk than female infants for prolonged hyperbilirubinemia.


CONCLUSIONS
Male breast-fed neonates with a variant nucleotide 211 in UGT1A1 have a high risk for developing prolonged hyperbilirubinemia.
Chang
Pi-Feng
PF
Department of Pediatrics, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Pan-Chiao, Taipei, Taiwan.
Lin
Yu-Cheng
YC
Liu
Kevin
K
Yeh
Shu-Jen
SJ
Ni
Yen-Hsuan
YH
D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051556:Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors; D000099148:UGT1A1 Enzyme
D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D000099148:UGT1A1 Enzyme