Determining the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphisms and genomic DNA methylation level: A meta-analysis

Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 2016 Aug;106(8):667-74. doi: 10.1002/bdra.23511. Epub 2016 May 13.

Abstract

Background: The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism is a risk factor for neural tube defects. C677T and A1298C MTHFR polymorphisms produce an enzyme with reduced folate-related one carbon metabolism, and this has been associated with aberrant methylation modifications in DNA and protein.

Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the association between MTHFR C677T/A1298C genotypes and global genomic methylation.

Results: Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 10 were performed on C677T MTHFR genotypes and 6 were performed on A1298C MTHFR genotypes. Our results did not indicate any correlation between global methylation and MTHFR A1298C, C677T polymorphisms.

Conclusion: The results of our study provide evidence to assess the global methylation modification alterations of MTHFR polymorphisms among individuals. However, our data did not found any conceivable proof supporting the hypothesis that common variant of MTHFR A1298C, C677T contributes to methylation modification. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 106:667-674, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: MTHFR A1298C; MTHFR C677T; genomic DNA methylation; meta-analysis; methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR).

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis

MeSH terms

  • DNA Methylation*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / genetics*
  • Neural Tube Defects / diagnosis
  • Neural Tube Defects / genetics*
  • Neural Tube Defects / pathology
  • Odds Ratio
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • MTHFR protein, human
  • Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)