Genetic mutations linked to lower risk for hemorrhage after birth
Several genetic mutations appear to protect against postpartum hemorrhage, according to research presented at the Anesthesiology 2020 annual meeting.
“This research suggests there may be biological mechanisms that are protective,” Vesela Kovacheva, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at Harvard Medical School, said in a press release. “After further research, we may be able to design drugs that target these pathways to prevent or help treat postpartum hemorrhage.”
Kovacheva and colleagues conducted a genome-wide association study of women who participated in the UK Biobank, a population-based prospective cohort study with more than 500,000 participants.
Among participants, researchers identified 1,424 cases of postpartum hemorrhage and matched them with 4,272 controls who had at last one live birth with no history of postpartum hemorrhage.
Researchers identified three genetic loci that had genome-wide significance among participants. One was located near the gene that modulates cell interactions and immune response associated with natural and lymphokine-activated killer cytotoxicity. The other two significant mutations were located near the gene that encodes sulfotransferase for chondroitin sulfate and the gene that encodes a protein inhibiting cell migration.
Another two genetic mutations with suggestive significance identified by researchers were located near genes that regulate cell migration and response to interferon.
All five identified mutations were located near genes involved in cell interactions with immunity, which researchers noted adds to evidence that the immune system plays a role in forming the placenta and in maintenance of normal gestation.
“These newly identified mutations — or differences in the structure of the DNA — may decrease the risk for hemorrhage, but we do not know why,” Kovacheva said in the press release. “We don’t know if the exact genes identified are involved or if those mutations affect other genes. Our next step is to study them further to learn more about how they work.”
References:
Kovacheva V, et al. Abstract 7376. Presented at: Anesthesiology 2020; October 2-5, 2020. (Virtual)