Absence of association between a common mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene and preeclampsia in Japanese women

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 case s of hypertension in pregnancy CRP), including 73 cases of PE, and 215 norm al pregnancy controls to confirm the association in Japanese women. No sign ificant differences of the frequency of the T677 allele frequency or percen tage of T677 homozygotes were detected among the various types of cases: HP (0.38, 12%, respectively), severe RP (0.40, 12%), PE (0.38, 11%), severe P E (0.41, 11%), primiparous HP (0.40, 12%), primiparous PE (0.44, 18%), none lderly 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 g ene (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 fac tor for PE in Japanese population. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.