Polymorphisms in Inflammatory Genes Are Associated with Term Small for Gestational Age and Preeclampsia

Citation

Harmon, Quaker E.; Engel, Stephanie M.; Wu, Michael C.; Moran, Thomas M.; Luo, Jingchun; Stuebe, Alison M.; Avery, Christy L.; & Olshan, Andrew F. (2014). Polymorphisms in Inflammatory Genes Are Associated with Term Small for Gestational Age and Preeclampsia. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 71(5), 472-484. PMCID: PMC4040534

Abstract

PROBLEM: Inflammatory biomarkers are associated with preeclampsia (PE) and poor fetal growth; however, genetic epidemiologic studies have been limited by reduced gene coverage and the exclusion of African American mothers.
METHOD OF STUDY: Cases and controls (N = 1646) from a pregnancy cohort were genotyped for 503 tagSNPs in 40 genes related to inflammation. Gene-set analyses were stratified by race and were followed by a single SNP analysis within significant gene sets.
RESULTS: Gene-level associations were found for IL6 and KLRD1 for term small for gestational age (SGA) among African Americans. LTA/TNF and TBX21 were associated with PE among European Americans. The strongest association was for PE among European Americans for an upstream regulator of TNF with RR = 1.8 (95% CI 1.1-2.7).
CONCLUSION: Although previous studies have suggested null associations, increased tagging and stratification by genetic ancestry suggests important associations between IL6 and term SGA for African Americans, and a TNF regulator and PE among European Americans (N = 149).

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/aji.12241

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2014

Journal Title

American Journal of Reproductive Immunology

Author(s)

Harmon, Quaker E.
Engel, Stephanie M.
Wu, Michael C.
Moran, Thomas M.
Luo, Jingchun
Stuebe, Alison M.
Avery, Christy L.
Olshan, Andrew F.

PMCID

PMC4040534

ORCiD

Olshan - 0000-0001-9115-5128
Avery - 0000-0002-1044-8162