Effects of race/ethnicity on triple CGG counts in the FMR1 gene in infertile women and egg donors.
This cross-sectional cohort study investigated 385 females (344 infertile women and 41 oocyte donors), the numbers of CGG repeats on the FMR1 gene and differences between races/ethnicities. Traditional definitions of neuropsychiatric risks are classified as common, intermediate, premutation and full mutation ranges. Normal CGG count range was here, however, defined by box and whisker plot as 26-32 repeats (median 30). Distribution of abnormal outliers in CGG counts from this normal range was then compared between women of Caucasian, African and Asian descent. African and Asian women demonstrated a higher prevalence of two normal count alleles (65%) than Caucasians (54.3%; P=0.03). Caucasians demonstrated the highest rate of allele abnormalities (43.3%) and were the only race/ethnicity also demonstrating abnormalities in both FMR1 alleles. Asian women demonstrated significantly fewer low outlier counts than Caucasians (P=0.002) and Africans (P=0.03). This study, thus, suggests significant racial/ethnic differences in triple CGG counts on the FMR1 gene between races/ethnicities. Since CGG counts on FMR1 are associated with ovarian reserve, these findings may reflect potential differences between races/ethnicities in ovarian function and female fertility reported in the literature.
Gleicher
Norbert
N
The Center for Human Reproduction, 21 East 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA. ngleicher@thechr.com
Weghofer
Andrea
A
Barad
David H
DH
D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D051860:Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology; D010063:Ovum; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000235:genetics; D014019:Tissue Donors; D019680:Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
D051860:Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1; C497683:FMR1 protein, human