Thermolabile Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Variants in Korean Women with Severe Preeclampsia / 대한산부인과학회잡지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate C to T substitution at nucleotide 677 of meth-ylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene in Korean women, which is genetically homogeneous, with preeclamptic or normotensive pregnancies. METHODS: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotypes were determined in 63 Korean women with severe preeclamptic pregnancies and 60 controls with normotensive pregnancies, using polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme analysis. RESULTS: The methylentetrahydrofolate reductase genotype and allele frequencies in preeclamptic and control women did not differ significantly. The frequency of the T677 allele was 38.1% in the preeclamptic group and 41.7% in the control group, and TT homozygosity was found in 12 preeclamptic women (19.0%) and 10 controls (16.7%). CONCLUSION: It seems like that there is no evidence of association of preeclampsia with meth-ylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphism, at least in the Korean population.