title: Association study of vascular endothelial growth factor and polymorphisms of its gene with ectopic pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In ectopic pregnancy, increased levels of vascular endothelial growth factor are present. The aims of this study were to determine the association between -634C/G, -460T/C, and +936C/T vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphisms and ectopic pregnancy, and to determine whether serum levels of VEGF were affected by genetic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  of study This is a case-control study wherein 74 women with a history of ectopic pregnancy in a tertiary care center were compared to 134 post-menopausal controls with two pregnancies and no ectopic pregnancy for the genotyping of VEGF polymorphisms. For 35 patients with the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy, serum concentrations of VEGF were obtained before the treatment. Genotyping of VEGF (-634C/G, -460T/C, and +936C/T) polymorphisms was performed by PCR, followed by endonuclease digestion. ELISA was performed to evaluate the VEGF serum levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The -634C/G, -460T/C, and +936C/T VEGF polymorphisms were not associated with ectopic pregnancy (P = 0.170, P = 0.285, and P = 0.700, respectively). The serum levels of VEGF were not associated with the genotype of -634C/G, -460T/C, and +936C/T VEGF polymorphisms (P = 0.702; P = 0.347, and P = 0.256, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no association between ectopic pregnancy and -634C/G, -460T/C, and +936C/T VEGF polymorphisms. There was no correlation between VEGF genotype and the expression of VEGF in blood samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics of the Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. elitojjr@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elito
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daher
authors.forename: Marcelo Octávio
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Fernandes da Silva
authors.forename: Natali Maiumi Higashi
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.forename: Karen Priscilla Tezotto
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Pendeloski
authors.forename: Antonio Fernandes
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Moron
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Camano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A