Heightened expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and lymphotoxin-α (LT-α) was associated with pregnancy complications, including idiopathic recurrent miscarriage (RM). Whereas TNF-α and LT-α gene polymorphisms affect serum cytokine concentrations, their contribution to RM is controversial. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) TNF-α (−238G/A, −308G/A) and LT-α (+252A/G) were investigated in 350 RM women and 200 control women. Higher frequency of the TNF-α −238A, but not the TNF-α −308A or the LT-α+252G, allele was seen in patients, with comparable frequencies of TNF-α −238G/A, TNF-α −308G/A, and LT-α+252A/G genotypes seen between both groups, except for TNF-α −238G/G, which was lower in patients. Regression analysis confirmed the association of the TNF-α −238G/A SNP with idiopathic RM, and both TNF-α −308A/TNF −238G/LT-α+252Gand TNF-α −308G/TNF-α −238A/LT-α+252Ghaplotypes played a susceptible role in idiopathic RM. TNF-α −238G/A and −238A/A, and LT-α+252G/G genotypes were positively associated only with exclusively early RM. This supports the concept of the association of TNF-α (−238G/A) and LT-α (+252A/G) polymorphic variants in idiopathic RM.
Associations between tumor necrosis factor-α and lymphotoxin-α polymorphisms and idiopathic recurrent miscarriage