Endometriosis is defined as the presence of ectopic endometrial glands and stroma outside of the uterine cavity. Recent studies have shown that the oxidative stress causes irreparable damage, which leads to oxidative enzymopathies. Catalase gene encodes an antioxidant enzyme, detoxifying hydrogen peroxide to H2O and O2. The aim of this study was to determine whether the polymorphism at position -262 in the promoter region of catalase gene (C-262T), which alters the expression and enzyme blood levels, could have an impact on the risk of endometriosis. Extracted DNA from peripheral blood leucocytes was genotyped using allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR). The χ(2)-test was used for statistical analyses. In endometriosis subjects, the frequencies of the CAT CC/CT/TT were 67.5%, 32.5% and 0%, respectively, while in healthy women, they were 12%, 68% and 20%, respectively. Significant differences in allele and genotype distribution among controls and patients were found (OR, 178.76 95% CI, 10.11-3159.1202; p = 0.0004). This study indicates that catalase C-262T polymorphism is associated with the endometriosis. Randomised multicentre trials with greater sample sizes are still needed to clarify our results.

(2014) Polymorphisms of glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1 Pro198Leu) and catalase (CAT C-262T) in women with spontaneous abortion, Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine, 60:5, 304-307, DOI: 10.3109/19396368.2014

Peptic ulcer disease is a common illness, affecting a considerable number of people worldwide, and its occurrence can be influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) function mostly as molecular chaperones, and are induced by various stresses. The A to G transition at position 1267 of the HSPA1B gene was shown to correlate with changes in the level of HSPA mRNA expression. Here, the relation between A1267G polymorphism of the HSPAIB gene and risk of peptic ulcer in the Iranian population was evaluated. One hundred subjects, who underwent gastroscopy, took part in the study. DNA samples extracted from the biopsy tissues were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). After gastroscopy, peptic ulcer was diagnosed for 50 patients; among them the distribution of AA/AB/BB genotypes was 10, 88 and 2%, respectively. As for the other 50 subjects (without peptic ulcer) included in the control group, the AA/AB/BB genotypes were identified as 40, 52 and 8%, respectively. A significant association was found between the HSPA1B genotype and peptic ulcer (6.76 OR; 95% CI, 2.26-20.2; p = 0.0006). Thus, the HSPA1B A1267G polymorphism may be a marker of susceptibility to peptic ulcer.

Spontaneous abortion is the most common complication of early pregnancy. Genetic factors have been hypothesised to play a role in spontaneous abortion. Since it is possible that the balance of oxidants and antioxidants can be affected by different genetic variants, gene polymorphisms have been proposed as a susceptibility factor that increases the chance of miscarriage. Manganese superoxide dismutase is an important antioxidant enzyme encoded by manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) gene. The aim of this experiment was to assess whether Val16Ala polymorphism of MnSOD gene is associated with miscarriage in northern Iran. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used for genotyping. Statistical analyses were conducted using the χ(2)-test. The genetic distributions did not differ significantly between cases and controls, however slightly more Val/Val genotypes were found among the patients compared with control subjects (p = 0.059). No correlation was observed between susceptibility to abortion and MnSOD Val16Ala polymorphism. Larger population-based studies are needed for clarifying the relationship between abortion and MnSOD genotypes.

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