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Positive association of Apolipoprotein E4 polymorphism with recurrent pregnancy loss in Iranian patients

  • Genetics
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Problem

Numerous lines of evidence implicate Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) in lipid metabolism during pregnancy. Hence, a role for its polymorphism has been envisaged in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) considering major structural and functional differences between different Apo E genotypes.

Method of study

A case control study of 81 women with two or more pregnancy losses that did not have any other known risk factors including anatomic anomalies of the reproductive system, infections, immunologic factors, hormonal imbalances, chromosomal abnormalities and environmental factors was carried out. The control group consisted of 81 women with at least two healthy children and no RPL in their reproductive history. DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood following written consent and Apo E genotyping was carried out by amplifying exon 4 of the gene and subjecting it to digestion by HhaI restriction enzyme.

Results

Genotyping was concluded by analyzing different fragment sizes produced, which resulted in finding significantly higher frequency of combined E3/E4 and E4/E4 genotypes in the patients (about 20 %) compared to the normal controls (2.4 %). The genotypes were confirmed by DNA sequencing.

Conclusion

Allelic frequency for E4 was 13.5 % in the patients and only 1 % in the non-RPL group. Our findings confirm and are in line with a number of similar studies carried out on other populations. Therefore, Apo E4 polymorphism seems to be contributing to the thrombophilic risk factors as a background to RPL.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from Tehran Medical Genetics Laboratory. The authors gratefully acknowledge the patients who consented to be involved in the study. The authors wish to acknowledge Dr. Arezou Sayad for her contribution to the statistical analysis and also the personnel of Tehran Medical Genetics Laboratory for their enthusiastic cooperation in this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of biology, Sciences and Research Branch Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Nooshin Asgari

  2. Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Jalal Al-Ahmad Express Way, Nasr Bridge, 14115331, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Taghi Akbari

  3. Tehran Medical Genetics Laboratory, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Taghi Akbari, Shohre Zare & Gholamreza Babamohammadi

  4. Department of Biology, Varamin Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University, Varamin Pishva, Iran

    Shohre Zare

Authors
  1. Nooshin Asgari
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  2. Mohammad Taghi Akbari
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  3. Shohre Zare
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  4. Gholamreza Babamohammadi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Taghi Akbari.

Additional information

Capsule

This study identified APOE4 polymorphism as one of the significant thrombophilic risk factors predisposing to RPL.

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Asgari, N., Akbari, M.T., Zare, S. et al. Positive association of Apolipoprotein E4 polymorphism with recurrent pregnancy loss in Iranian patients. J Assist Reprod Genet 30, 265–268 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-012-9897-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-012-9897-5

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