Polymorphisms in the inflammatory pathway genes and the risk of preeclampsia in Sinhalese women

Abstract

Objective: Elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. We investigated the prevalence of functional polymorphisms in genes regulating inflammation in preeclamptic women.

Methods: One hundred seventy-five nulliparous Sinhalese women with preeclampsia (cases) and 171 normotensive women matched for age, ethnicity, parity and body mass index (BMI) (controls) were recruited. Preeclampsia was diagnosed using international guidelines. Genotyping was performed on DNA extracted from peripheral blood using the Sequenom MassARRAY system.

Results: The prevalence of the CT genotype of IL1A rs17561 polymorphism was increased in preeclamptic women compared with controls {p = 0.04, odds ratio (OR) [95% class interval (CI)] = 1.6 (1.0-2.5)}. The prevalence of the CT genotype [p = 0.01, OR (95% CI) = 1.8 (1.1-2.8)] and the dominant model (CT + TT) [p = 0.03, OR (95% CI) = 1.6 (1.1-2.5)] of the IL1A rs1800587 polymorphism were increased in preeclamptic women compared with controls. The prevalence of the GA genotype [p = 0.04, OR (95% CI) = 0.6 (0.4-0.9)] and the dominant model (GA + AA) [p = 0.03, OR (95% CI) = 0.6 (0.4-0.9)] of the MBL1 rs1800450 polymorphism were reduced in preeclamptic women compared to controls.

Conclusion: Genotypes conferring a pro-inflammatory phenotype are increased in preeclamptic women.

Keywords: Inflammation; interleukin; polymorphism; preeclampsia.