title: Evaluation of demographic, clinical characteristics, and genetic polymorphism as risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse in Brazilian women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Verify the association between genital prolapse, other risk factors and a polymorphism in exon 31 of the collagen III-a1 gene (COL3A1).
  
  
  METHODS
  The etiology of genital prolapse is multifactorial, and genetic defects have been proposed. Also, there is evidence that changes in collagen may be responsible for defects in pelvic floor support. The exon 31 polymorphism results in structural changes in the triple helical of the collagen and appears to lead to abnormal synthesis of type III collagen.
  
  
  METHODS
  Basic science study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The studied group consisted of 107 patients with stage III and IV genital prolapse (POP-Q). The control group included 209 women with stage 0 and I prolapse.
  
  
  METHODS
  After extracting genomic DNA from the peripheral blood, the exon 31 COL3A1 polymorphism was typed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Association between genital prolapse and exon 31 COL3A1 polymorphism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant differences in genotype and allele frequencies were found between cases and controls (P = 0.75 and 0.66, respectively). Multiple logistic regression analyses identified age (OR = 1.05; 95%CI = 1.01-1.10), BMI (OR = 1.09; 95%CI = 1.01-1.17), presence of at least one vaginal delivery (OR = 7.22; 95%CI = 1.84-28.27), positive family history of POP (OR = 2.27; 95%CI = 1.05-4.93) and a macrosomic foetus (OR = 2.91; 95%CI = 1.24-6.79) as independent risk factors for genital prolapse. In contrast, the number of caesarean deliveries was found to be an independent protective factor (OR = 0.43; 95%CI = 0.24-0.78).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The type III collagen exon 31 polymorphism is not a risk factor for pelvic genital prolapse in this sample.
authors: Section of Urogynecology and Pelvic Surgery, Department of Gynecology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Karina de Falco
authors: Kde F
authors: Martins
authors: Zsuzsanna Ilona Katalin
authors: ZI
authors: de Jármy-DiBella
authors: Andrea Moura Rodrigues Maciel
authors: AM
authors: da Fonseca
authors: Rodrigo Aquino
authors: RA
authors: Castro
authors: Ismael Dale Cotrim Guerreiro
authors: ID
authors: da Silva
authors: Manoel João Batista Castello
authors: MJ
authors: Girão
authors: Marair Gracio Ferreira
authors: MG
authors: Sartori