An association between preeclampsia (PE) and a common missense mutation of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR), a C to T substitution at nucleotide 677 (C677T), which converts an alanine to a valine residue, has been reported in Italian and Japanese populations. We examined 101 cases of hypertension in pregnancy (HP), including 73 cases of PE, and 215 normal pregnancy controls to confirm the association in Japanese women. No significant differences of the frequency of the T677 allele frequency or percentage of T677 homozygotes were detected among the various types of cases: HP (0.38, 12%, respectively), severe HP (0. 40, 12%), PE (0.38, 11%), severe PE (0.41, 11%), primiparous HP (0. 40, 12%), primiparous PE (0.44, 18%), nonelderly HP (0.39, 13%), nonelderly PE (0.40, 14%), nonobese HP (0.38, 12%), nonobese PE (0. 39, 10%), HP without homozygous T235 of the angiotensinogen gene (TT of AGT) (0.38, 15%), PE without TT of AGT (0.38, 15%), and controls (0.38, 15%). The results indicate that T677 of MTHFR may not be a risk factor for PE in Japanese population.
Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.