Gene Variants Linked To Risk Of Preterm Birth

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Genetics
Article Date: 08 Feb 2010 - 0:00 PDT

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Gene variants in a woman and her fetus can make them more susceptible to an inflammatory response to infections inside the uterus, which can increase the risk for a preterm birth, according to a study presented at a meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Reuters reports. Preterm delivery is a leading cause of infant mortality and disability, according to Reuters.

For the study, researchers in Chile analyzed 190 genes and more than 700 DNA variants from 229 women and 179 preterm infants -- those born before 37 weeks' gestation. The genetic material of the preterm group was compared with that of 600 women who delivered at full term. Lead researcher Roberto Romero of NIH said, "What we found was there were some DNA variants in the fetus that were associated with the occurrence of premature labor and delivery, and there were some genes in the mother that also increase the risk of premature labor and delivery."

For the infants, the largest gene influence was the interleukin 6 receptor, which is related to the body's response to inflammation. For women, researchers looked at a gene that affects structures in the cervix and uterus that dissolve at the beginning of labor. According to Romero, if an infection develops, the combination of these two genetic variants raises the risk of preterm labor as the body tries to preserve the health of the woman and fetus. Romero said this suggests that preterm delivery is an evolutionary mechanism designed to protect the woman and fetus.

Infants born preterm face a 120 times greater risk of death than infants born at full term. They are more likely than full-term infants to develop breathing difficulties, bleeding into the brain and neurological handicaps. About 500,000 U.S. infants and more than 13 million infants worldwide are born preterm annually, according to Reuters (Steenhuysen, Reuters, 2/4).

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