Polymorphisms associated with thrombophilia and vascular homeostasis and the timing of menarche and menopause in 728 white women.

Objective: Genetic factors have been proposed as modulators of the timing of natural menopause. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes associated with thrombophilia and vascular homeostasis may interfere with ovarian function and thus are candidate genes for early menopause. We attempted to assess the association of SNPs and the timing of menarche and natural and surgical menopause in an ethnically homogenous cohort of Middle European white women.

Design: In the present cross-sectional study, eight SNPs of six genes involved in vascular function and homeostasis were analyzed by sequencing-on-chip using solid-phase polymerase chain reaction on oligonucleotide microarrays in 728 white women: factor V (F5) Leiden G1691A, factor II (F2) prothrombin G20210A, plasminogen activator inhibitor1 (PAI-1) 4G/5G, angiotensinogen (AGT) Met235Thr, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) T768C and NOS3 Glu298Asp, apolipoprotein E-1 (APOE-1) Cys112Arg, and APOE-2 Arg158Cys. The women's reproductive and medical histories were correlated to genotypes.

Results: In a univariate analysis, current smoking (P = 0.01) and the presence of at least one mutant allele of F5 Leiden (P = 0.03) and APOE-2 (P = 0.03) were significantly associated with a reduced age at natural menopause. The presence of at least one mutant allele of F5 Leiden (P = 0.02) and a body mass index above 25 kg/m (P = 0.009) were significantly associated with an increased risk for surgical menopause by premenopausal hysterectomy (odds ratio = 2.6, 95% CI, 1.2-5.6; odds ratio = 1.9, 95% CI, 1.2-3.0, respectively). Age at menarche was not affected by the carriage of any of the investigated SNPs. Applying stepwise linear regression models considering all two-way interactions, no interactions were found among different SNPs or between SNPs and environmental and lifestyle parameters.

Conclusion: We identified various genetic and personal history parameters influencing age at natural menopause and the risk of undergoing premenopausal hysterectomy. To the best of our knowledge, we present the largest study to date determining SNPs as contributors to the genetic control of the timing of natural and surgical menopause.