ALOX12 gene is associated with the onset of natural menopause in white women. Menopause 2010;17(1):152-6
Date
01/12/2010Pubmed ID
20061896Pubmed Central ID
PMC2927106DOI
10.1097/gme.0b013e3181b63c68Scopus ID
2-s2.0-74549129423 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 23 CitationsAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Natural menopause is a key physiological event in a woman's life. Timing of menopause affects risk for many postmenopausal systemic disorders and may thus influence life expectancy. Age at natural menopause (ANM) is largely determined genetically, but a list of candidate genes is far from complete. This study investigated the ALOX12 gene for its possible association with ANM.
METHODS: Six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the gene (rs9904779, rs2073438, rs11571340, rs434473, rs2307214, and rs312462) were genotyped in a random sample of 210 unrelated white women. The SNPs and common haplotypes were then analyzed for their association with ANM. Smoking, alcohol consumption, and duration of breast-feeding were used as covariates.
RESULTS: Two SNPs, rs9904779 and rs434473 (encodes a replacement of asparagine by serine in the protein), were significantly associated with ANM (P = 0.022 and 0.033, respectively). The minor alleles of both SNPs seem to promote about 1.3- to 1.5-year earlier menopause and confer a 1.6 to 1.8 times higher risk for early menopause. All SNPs indicated significant or nearly significant interactions with alcohol use and duration of breast-feeding. Five common haplotypes were also associated with ANM.
CONCLUSIONS: The ALOX12 gene seems to be associated with the timing of natural menopause in white women.
Author List
Liu P, Lu Y, Recker RR, Deng HW, Dvornyk VMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AgingArachidonate 12-Lipoxygenase
Female
Humans
Menopause
Middle Aged
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
