Background Gestational hypertension (GH) is a common disorder during pregnancy that can progress to preeclampsia (PE). PE and its complications have become the leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The development of PE is unpredictable and thus challenging to prevent and manage clinically. A cluster of enzymes, called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), have been reported to be involved in the pathophysiology of hypertensive states of pregnancy.
Aim We aimed to investigate the association of two functional polymorphisms [−1562C/T and −90(CA)13–25] in the MMP-9 gene and their haplotypes with PE and/or GH in a group of Egyptian patients.
Methods A total of 150 pregnant women; 50 healthy (control), 50 with GH, and 50 with PE were enrolled and genotyped for −1562C/T and −90(CA)13–25 polymorphisms by PCR-RFLP and end-point PCR correspondingly.
Results For both studied polymorphisms, no significant differences were found in genotype, allele, and haplotype frequencies when PE or GH groups were compared with control group.
Conclusions Although MMP-9 −1562C/T and −90(CA)13-25 polymorphisms and their haplotypes were not associated with either GH or PE Egyptian patients, the role of MMP-9 and its genetic variants cannot be ruled out in the pathophysiology of different hypertensive states of pregnancy