XENOBIOTIC METABOLISM GENES AND THE RISK OF RECURRENT SPONTANEOUS-ABORTION

We examined the relation between spontaneous abortion and polymorphism s in two genes, glutathione S-transferase (GSTM1) and N-acetyltransfer ase (NAT2), which are involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics. In a case-control study of 29 women, we found that, among women with the GS TM1 null genotype, the odds ratio (OR) was 3.1 [95% confidence interva l (CI) = 1.3-7.0]. There was less evidence of a relation with NAT2 [Ma ntel-Haenszel adjusted OR (OR(MH)) = 1.4; 95% CI = 0.45-4.3]. We sough t to replicate the CSTZ1 finding in an independent case control study from New York involving 89 cases. We found an inverse association (OR = 0.8; 95% CI = 0.4-2.4). Taken together, these data provide little ev idence of an association between GSTM1 or NAT2 genotype and risk of sp ontaneous abortion.