Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphisms in black South Africans and the association with preeclampsia

Background. A methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism (1317T → C) that occurs commonly in black African individuals prompted this study to establish whether this polymorphism, alone or in association with other MTHFR variants, is associated with preeclampsia in black South African women. Methods. A group of 204 black women with preeclampsia was examined for the 677C → T, 1298A → C and 1317T → C MTHFR polymorphic alleles using standard techniques. Also examined were women with early-onset preeclampsia ( n = 67) and gestational hypertension ( n = 78). Results were compared with 338 ethnically matched normotensive pregnant women who had normal full-term gestations. Results. No differences in the 677T → C or 1298A → C MTHFR alleles were found between the study groups and controls; very few women were homozygous for either variant allele. Significant differences were observed for the 1317T → C polymorphism: only 39% of preeclamptics were homozygous for the T allele compared with 52% of the con...