Vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms and idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss

To investigate whether four common polymorphisms (-2578C/A, -1154G/A, -634G/C, and 936C/T) of the gene encoding for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are associated with idiopathic recurrent miscarriage.

Prospective case-control study.

University teaching hospital.

Fifty-two patients with a history of three or more unexplained consecutive pregnancy losses and 82 healthy, postmenopausal controls with at least two live births and no history of pregnancy loss.

None.

Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis were performed to identify the different VEGF alleles.

There was a significant difference in the -1154G/A genotype and allele frequency between women with recurrent pregnancy loss and controls. The risk of recurrent pregnancy loss was lower in the carriers of the G allele than in women carrying the A allele (odds ratio = 1.91, 95% confidence interval, 0.12-3.28). No significant association between recurrent spontaneous abortions and -2578C/A, -634G/C, and 936C/T genotypes was found. Between women with primary and secondary idiopathic recurrent miscarriage, no statistically significant differences with respect to allele frequencies were observed.

This is the first report on VEGF gene polymorphisms in women with recurrent miscarriage, demonstrating that the -1154G/A VEGF gene polymorphism is associated with idiopathic recurrent abortions.