Expression of hTERT in placenta of IUGR pregnancy in an Iranian population

Objective: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is one of the most important causes of the fetus and newborn mortality in the population. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between hTERT gene expression level and IUGR pregnancy in an Iranian population. Study design: The hTERT expression was analyzed in 66 placenta samples consisting of 33 controls and 33 IUGRs, and compared by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. Results: There was no significant difference between the placentas samples of IUGR and healthy individuals for hTERT gene expression (p = 0.621). Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, the current investigation is the first study on the association between hTERT gene expression and IUGR in Iran. According to our results, there was no significant correlation between hTERT and IUGR etiology in this study. Surely, using more samples could provide more definite results on this matter in the future.