The parental origin of hydatidiform moles and blighted ova: molecular probing with hypervariable DNA polymorphisms

The androgenetic origin of hydatidiform moles, due to a monospermic or dispermic mechanism, has been reported, and a possible pathogenetic relation with blighted ova suggested. To evaluate the origin of hydatidiform moles and their genetic relationship with blighted ova we investigated a series of samples, utilizing several hypervariable DNA polymorphisms by Southern blotting or PCR. Seven complete or partial hydatidiform mole and 49 blighted ovum cases were investigated. The results confirm the androgenetic origin of complete hydatidiform moles, which were always due in our sample to a monospermic mechanism. Our data exclude a relationship between hydatidiform moles and blighted ova, as in the latter a mixed paternal and maternal DNA contribution was always shown. A high incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in blighted ova was also found.