Skip Navigation



Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on July 28, 2005

Molecular Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/molehr/gah204
This Article
Right arrow Advance Access manuscript (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
11/7/477    most recent
gah204v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Parle-McDermott, A.
Right arrow Articles by C.Brody, L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Parle-McDermott, A.
Right arrow Articles by C.Brody, L.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Published by Oxford University Press [2005] on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.
Received May 3, 2005
Revised May 27, 2005
Accepted June 13, 2005

Article

A polymorphism in the MTHFD1 gene increases a mother’s risk of having an unexplained second trimester pregnancy loss

Anne Parle-McDermott 1, Faith Pangilinan 2, James L.Mills 3, Caroline C. Signore 3, Anne M. Molloy 4, Amanda Cotter 5, Mary Conley 3, Christopher Cox 3, Peadar N. Kirke 6, John M.Scott 1, and Lawrence C.Brody 2*

1 Department of Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
2 Molecular Pathogenesis Section, Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
3 Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
4 Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity College Dublin
5 Coombe Women’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Present address: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Miami, P.O.Box 016960, Miami, FL 33101, USA
6 Child Health Epidemiology Division, Health Research Board, Dublin, Ireland

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Lawrence C.Brody, E-mail: lbrody{at}helix.nih.gov


   Abstract

Low maternal folate or vitamin B 12 status has been implicated in numerous pregnancy complications including spontaneous abortion. The primary aim of this study was to test a polymorphism within the trifunctional folate enzyme MTHFD1 (5,10-methylene-tetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase, 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase, 10-formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase) for an association with a mother’s risk of having an unexplained second trimester pregnancy loss. We genotyped 125 women who had at least one unexplained spontaneous abortion or intrauterine fetal death between 13 and 26 weeks gestation and 625 control women with no history of prior pregnancy loss. Our study is the first to identify an association between the MTHFD1 1958G-> A (R653Q) polymorphism and the maternal risk of having an unexplained second trimester pregnancy loss. Women who are MTHFD1 1958AA homozygous have a 1.64-fold increased risk of having an unexplained second trimester loss compared to women who are MTHFD1 1958AG or 1958GG [OR 1.64 (1.05-2.57), P = 0.03]. It has been reported that polymorphisms in 5,10- methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), 677C-> T (A222V), transcobalamin II (TCII), 776C-> G (P259R), are associated with pregnancy loss. Both variants were tested in this study. Neither showed evidence of significantly affecting the maternal risk of having a second trimester pregnancy loss. In conclusion, the MTHFD1 1958AA genotype may be an important maternal risk factor to consider during pregnancy.

Keywords: abortion/fetal death/second trimester/spontaneous/unexplained.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Hum ReprodHome page
O. B. Christiansen, H. S. Nielsen, M. Lund, R. Steffensen, and K. Varming
Mannose-binding lectin-2 genotypes and recurrent late pregnancy losses
Hum. Reprod., February 1, 2009; 24(2): 291 - 299.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Biol. Chem.Home page
A. J. MacFarlane, C. A. Perry, H. H. Girnary, D. Gao, R. H. Allen, S. P. Stabler, B. Shane, and P. J. Stover
Mthfd1 Is an Essential Gene in Mice and Alters Biomarkers of Impaired One-carbon Metabolism
J. Biol. Chem., January 16, 2009; 284(3): 1533 - 1539.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Int J EpidemiolHome page
M. Bochud, A. Chiolero, R. C Elston, and F. Paccaud
A cautionary note on the use of Mendelian randomization to infer causation in observational epidemiology
Int. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2008; 37(2): 414 - 416.
[Full Text] [PDF]



Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.