Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Interleukin-1-β Polymorphisms in Pre-Eclampsia

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Immunology
• Obstetrics

Background:

• Pre-eclampsia is a leading cause of pregnancy complications.
• Elevated plasma levels of TNF-α and IL-1β are observed in pre-eclamptic pregnancies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association of IL-1β (C+3954T) and TNF-α (G-308A, G-238A) gene polymorphisms with pre-eclampsia in northeastern Iran.

Main Methods:

• Case-control study involving 153 pre-eclamptic women and 150 healthy pregnant women.
• Genotyping of IL-1β (C+3954T), TNF-α (G-308A), and TNF-α (G-238A) polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction.

Main Results:

• The TNF-α G-308A polymorphism was significantly more frequent in pre-eclamptic women (p<0.001).
• The TNF-α G-238A polymorphism showed a higher frequency of the AA genotype and lower frequency of the GG genotype in the pre-eclamptic group (p<0.001).
• No significant association was found between IL-1β genotype and pre-eclampsia (p=0.39).

Conclusions:

• Specific TNF-α genotypes are significantly correlated with pre-eclampsia.
• These findings suggest a role for immune-related genes, particularly TNF-α, in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.