Association between p53 polymorphism at codon 72 and recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Area of Science:

• Genetics and Molecular Biology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Cell Biology

Background:

• The p53 gene is crucial for apoptosis, a process vital for trophoblast cell invasion.
• A specific p53 gene variation, arginine (Arg) to proline (Pro) at codon 72, is linked to increased recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) risk.
• Understanding this polymorphism's role in RSA is essential for reproductive health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis investigating the association between p53 polymorphism at codon 72 and recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA).
• To evaluate the risk conferred by the p53 Pro/Pro genotype in RSA cases.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis was performed using studies from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science.
• Six studies comprising 937 RSA cases and 830 controls were included.
• Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess the association strength.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and RSA in recessive (Pro/Pro vs. Arg/Arg+Pro/Arg) and co-dominant (Pro/Pro vs. Arg/Arg) models.
• The Pro allele demonstrated a significant association with RSA (Pro vs. Arg) after excluding a study deviating from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
• Subgroup analysis revealed a significant association in the Caucasian ethnic group.

Conclusions:

• The p53 gene polymorphism at codon 72 is associated with an increased maternal risk of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA).
• The Pro/Pro genotype specifically confers a higher risk for RSA.
• The findings highlight the genetic contribution to RSA and potential diagnostic markers.