Association of selected polymorphisms in GPX4, COMT, pre-miR-125a, pre-miR-10a, and pre-miR-323b genes in Iranian women with idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss: A casecontrol study

Background: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a major concern among women worldwide. However, the exact mechanisms underlying miscarriage are not well understood. Recent evidence suggests that single nucleotide polymorphisms in various genes, especially miRNAs, may be responsible for RPL. Objective: We surveyed the association between polymorphisms in pre-miR-125a, premiR- 10a, pre-miR-323b, GPX4, and GPX4 in Iranian women with idiopathic RPL. Materials and Methods: DNA was extracted from blood samples of 116 women with idiopathic RPL and 89 healthy women as controls who had previously had at least two successful pregnancies. Polymerase chain reaction was used for the amplification of the genes. Genotype screening along with SNaPshot were performed to detect different polymorphisms. Finally, the polymorphisms and frequency of each genotype were compared between the two groups. Results: The frequencies of polymorphisms in pre-miR-125a (p < 0.001) and pre-miR-10a (p = 0.04) were calculated among the case and control groups, which showed a statistical difference (p < 0.05), indicating an association between these polymorphisms and the symptoms of RPL. The frequencies of polymorphisms of genotypes in GPX4, COMT and pre-miR-323b did not demonstrate any difference between the two groups. Also, the amount of alleles in pre-miR-125a and pre-miR-10a were significantly different (p < 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively) and the dominant inheritance model was proposed. Conclusion: In conclusion, pre-miR-125a and pre-miR-10a can be associated with RPL in women. The SNaPshot technique is a valuable tool to evaluate possible associations between polymorphisms and health conditions. Key words: SNaPshot, Single-nucleotide polymorphisms, Recurrent pregnancy loss, Genotypes