Contribution of JAK2 and STAT3 variants to the genetic susceptibility of recurrent miscarriage among Bahraini and Tunisian Arabs

Abstract

We investigated the contribution of JAK2 rs2203724 and STAT3 rs1053023 and rs1053004 to the susceptibility of idiopathic recurrent miscarriage (IRM) in Bahraini (246 cases and 279 controls) and Tunisian (235 cases and 235 controls) Arabs. The distribution of JAK2 rs2203724 and STAT3 rs1053023 genotypes were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) in both communities, while mild deviation from HWE was noted for rs1053004 in Tunisians but not Bahraini. JAK2 rs2203724 was not associated with IRM in either community, while STAT3 rs1053023 was positively associated with IRM in both Bahraini and Tunisian women. STAT3 rs1053004 displayed mixed association: it was positively associated with IRM in Bahraini (P < 0.001), but not Tunisian women (P = 0.10). Genotype association confirmed the association of both STAT3 variants with IRM under additive, dominant, and recessive models, while the association of STAT3 rs1053023 was seen under additive and dominant, but not recessive models in Tunisians. The contribution of JAK2 and STAT3 variants to IRM susceptibility must be evaluated regarding specific variants, and the ethnic/racial background.