Fat Mass Obesity Gene Predisposing in Preeclampsia in the Madura Population: A Case-Control Study

Preeclampsia (PE) is a common complication of pregnancy characterised by hypertension, severe headaches, and protein in the urine, usually developing after 20 weeks of pregnancy. High body mass index before pregnancy is a risk factor for PE. One gene associated with obesity is the Fat Mass Obesity (FTO) gene. This study aimed to analyse the FTO gene predisposing to PE in the Madura population.

The research design is a case-control design. A total of 110 pregnant women participated: 55 with severe PE and 55 healthy pregnant women. The inclusion criteria for the case group were patients with a history of PE who visited Syamrabu Bangkalan Regional Hospital and the independent midwifery practice, and who were of Madurese ethnicity. Blood samples were collected for FTO gene analysis; a questionnaire was used to obtain demographic data from pregnant women; and the FTO gene was analysed by tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction method, followed by sequencing and statistical analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

In normotensive pregnant women, the AA homozygous genotype was less common than in the PE group (1.8% vs 12.7%). The results were statistically significant (p = 0.018) between normotensive and preeclamptic pregnant women.

The FTO gene may be a risk factor for PE and is associated with the AA homozygous genotype; further research with large sample sizes across diverse ethnicities is needed.