Offspring gender ratio and the rate of recurrent spontaneous miscarriages in jewish women at high risk for breast/ovarian cancer

Am J Hum Genet. 2004 Jun;74(6):1270-5. doi: 10.1086/421442. Epub 2004 Apr 28.

Abstract

BRCA1/BRCA2 germline mutations are associated with an increased breast/ovarian cancer risk. Offspring gender ratios may be skewed against male births in BRCA1 mutation carriers. In addition, the lack of viable homozygous BRCA1/BRCA2-mutation carriers implies that recurrent miscarriages may be associated with homozygous fetuses. Jewish Israeli high-risk women who were tested for being carriers of the predominant BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations in Jewish high-risk families were analyzed for the sex of offspring and the rate of spontaneous miscarriages. Overall, 817 women participated: 393 BRCA1/BRCA2-mutation carriers (229 with breast/ovarian cancer) and 424 high-risk noncarriers (208 with breast/ovarian cancer). No differences between the male-to-female offspring ratios of all study groups were noted. Among mutation carriers, the offspring male-to-female ratio was 0.97 (444 : 460), and among mutation carriers with cancer it was 0.92 (262 : 284). Similarly, no offspring gender skewing was noted among high-risk noncarriers, regardless of health status. The rates of three or more spontaneous miscarriages among participants with at least one live birth were 4.37% (15/343) among mutation carriers and 3% (12/401) among high-risk women (P = not significant). In conclusion, the offspring gender ratio is similar in high-risk Jewish families and in the general population. The issue of the rate of recurrent miscarriages in high-risk Jewish women is unresolved.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Habitual / genetics*
  • Abortion, Spontaneous / genetics*
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Female
  • Genes, BRCA1
  • Genes, BRCA2
  • Germ-Line Mutation / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Jews
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Pregnancy
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Ratio*