Association of VEGFA and IL1β gene polymorphisms with preeclampsia in Sudanese women

Background: Preeclampsia can lead to adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. There are few studies on the genetic factors associated with preeclampsia in Africa in general and in Sudan in specific.

Methods: A case-control study (60 women in each arm) was conducted at Saad Abualila Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan, from March to September 2018. The participants were genotyped for vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) rs3025039, interleukin 1 beta (IL1β) rs16944, and IL1β rs1143634 by performing polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and the results were confirmed by DNA sequencing.

Results: There was no significant difference in the age, parity, body mass index, or other characteristics tested between the preeclampsia group and the control group (60 women in each arm). The rs3025039, rs16944, and rs1143634 genotypes were distributed in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p > .05). For rs3025039, CT, CT+TT, and the T allele were risk factors for preeclampsia (odds ratio [OR] = 2.4; 95% CI [1.12-5.32]; p = .02; OR = 2.49 [1.17-25.27]; p = .01; OR = 2.05; 95% CI [1.10-3.83]; p = .02, respectively). Regarding rs16944, only the heterozygous genotype CT was associated with preeclampsia (OR = 2.55; 95% CI [1.15-5.56]; p = .01). Regarding rs1143634, CT, CT+TT, and the T allele were risk factors for preeclampsia (OR = 5.28; 95% CI [2.26-12.33]; p < .001; OR = 4.50; 95% CI [2.06-9.81]; p < .001; OR = 2.75; 95% CI [1.48-5.12]; p = .001, respectively).

Conclusion: Polymorphisms in IL1β and VEGFA were associated with preeclampsia in this setting. Significant associations were observed between preeclampsia and rs3025039, rs16944, and rs1143634.