Abstract / Summary
Background: Recurrent miscarriages are pregnancy losses before the 24th week of gestation, affecting 2% of all pregnancies. Caused by issues in the mother, father, fetus, or placenta, they can be linked to increased homocysteine levels in the blood, a genetic, environmental, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphism. Aim of the study: To know the prevalence and compare the C677T & A1298C gene polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase among cases of recurrent miscarriage. Patients and Methods: A prospective case control study involving 100 women from Al-Khansaa and Duhok teaching hospitals and private clinics. The case group included 50 women with three or more miscarriages without a history of pregnancy proceeded beyond 24+6 weeks?, while the control group included 50 women with at least one live child without a previous miscarriage. A blood sample was collected and examined for the presence of gene polymorphism of C677T and A1298C. Results were analyzed statistically. Results: The study found significant differences in the age of women at marriage and first conception for recurrent miscarriage compared to the control group. The C677T gene was detected in 18.0% of cases and 4.0% of controls, while the A1298C gene was detected in 8% of cases. All positive gene mutations in recurrent miscarriage cases had irregular menstrual cycles. Conclusion: Correlation between gene polymorphism and recurrent miscarriage risk can be found in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T but not in A1298C. The test for C677T is of certain significance for investigating idiopathic recurrent miscarriage.