Are fetal Val108/158Met catechol-O-methyltransferase ( COMT ) polymorphism and placental COMT activity associated with the development of preeclampsia?
Fetal Met-Met COMT genotype reduces COMT placental expression and activity in vitro and increases preeclampsia, risk but it does not explain the difference in maternal 2-ME levels between preeclamptic and normal pregnancies. However, the preeclamptic patients had elevated homocysteine levels that correlated inversely with 2-ME, indicating that an altered methionine-homocysteine metabolism may contribute to reduce COMT activity in vivo and explain the decreased levels of 2-ME in preeclamptic women.
All data were self-reported and not physician-assessed.