title: Association between HLA-E gene polymorphism and unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) in Iranian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E)is a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens which expressed on extra villous cytotrophoblast, which interacts with NKG2A, is an inhibitory receptor on natural killer (NK) cells and leading to down regulation of immune response in the maternal-fetal interface and provides maternal immune tolerance of the fetus.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was designated to investigate the gene frequencies of E0101 and E0103 in HLA-E gene in Iranian women with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS-PCR) technique was carried out to detect polymorphism in exon 3 of the HLA-E gene in women with RSA and controls (n=200). Differences between groups were analyzed by SPSS19 software using (2) test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in the allele frequencies of the HLA-E polymorphism between RSA and fertile controls but HLA-E 0101/0103 heterozygous genotype was found to be significantly higher in RSA group (p=0.006, OR=1.73), so this genotype might confer susceptibility to RSA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that HLA-E 0101/0103 heterozygous genotype leads to increase of RSA risk. It seems that by genotyping of HLA-E polymorphism, we can predict the risk of RSA in infertile women.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fotoohi
authors.affiliation: Recurrent Abortion Research Center, Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghasemi
authors.affiliation: Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mirghanizadeh
authors.affiliation: Community and Preventive Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vakili
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.; Recurrent Abortion Research Center, Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. ; Research Center for Food Hygiene and Safety, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Samadi
keywords: HLA-E antigen; Polymorphism; Spontaneous Abortions