title: Are placental Fas and Fas ligand gene polymorphisms associated with preeclampsia?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increased placental trophoblastic apoptosis has been reported in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. Fas-Fas ligand is one of the major signal transduction pathways of apoptosis. The objective of this study was to determine if placental Fas and Fas ligand gene polymorphisms differ between patients with and without preeclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five singleton placentas were studied. Twenty-three placentas were from preeclamptic pregnancies and 22 were from normotensive controls. Genotyping was performed for Fas-1377, Fas-691, Fas-670, Fas ligand-844, Fas ligand-1174, Fas ligand-2777. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in maternal age, parity or race between the two groups. There were no significant differences in genotypes or allele frequencies for the Fas-1377, Fas-691, Fas-670, Fas ligand-844, Fas ligand-1174 and Fas ligand-2777.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immune intolerance of maternal and placental interaction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Our findings do not support the role of placental Fas and Fas ligand gene polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Westchester Medical Center, United States. Electronic address: polavarapu@uchc.edu.
authors.forename: Satya S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Polavarapu
authors.affiliation: Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Lance A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Parton
authors.affiliation: Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Hima
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maramreddy
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Westchester Medical Center, United States; Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nassau University Medical Center, United States.
authors.forename: Chaur-Dong
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Hsu
keywords: Apoptosis; Fas–Fas ligand; Placental polymorphisms; Preeclampsia