Associative role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase 6bp del gene polymorphism in preterm delivery

Objective: Preterm delivery is a major adverse birth outcome, approximately 15 million babies are born prematurely every year. There are several causes for preterm deliveries. This study focuses on folate metabolic pathways. Dietary folate plays a crucial role in premature labor. We examined the relationship between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) (C677T) and thymidylate synthase (TYMS) 6bpdel polymorphism. Materials and Methods: A total number of 300 pregnant women were selected for this study; among which (n = 150) were preterm and (n = 150) were term delivery cases. The selected samples were further processed for molecular polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The demographic profile of birth status resulted significantly with (P = 0.0001) proving chances of high infant mortality due to prematurity. Results: The genotype distribution of MTHFR C677T showed significant data (P = 0.0021) whereas insignificant genotypic distribution was observed for the TYMS gene (P = 0.067). Our results imply that genes that are involved in the folate pathway play a crucial role in early pregnancy. Conclusion: Advanced and better strategies can be brought to an improved intervention of folate at the time of pregnancy which will help to reduce the rate of premature deliveries.