Association between P582S HIF-1A gene polymorphism and hematological parameters among women: A cross-sectional study

Women are prone to low red blood indices due to increased physiological requirements and frequent blood loss in menstrual periods. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) act as master regulators of oxygen and iron balance. In this study, the association between P582S HIF-1A polymorphism and red blood indices among women was examined. A total of 310 participants were recruited in the study. PCR followed by RFLP technology was used to genotype HIF-1A polymorphism. The mean age of participants was 27.0 years, and the mean BMI was 26.4 +/- 7.73 kg/m2. Most of the participants did not exercise (89.1%), and about 21.1% were current tobacco smokers. Frequency of 582S (T) mutant allele was 17.5% while the frequency of 582P (C) wild-type allele was 82.5%. No association was found between P582S HIF-1A and hemoglobin level (p=0.37), red blood cell count (p=0.33), hematocrit (p=0.96), mean body size (p=0.20), mean corpuscular volume (p=0.34), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (p=0.22), red blood cell distribution width (p=0.77), ferritin (p=0.19), and erythropoietin (p=0.15). In addition, no significant differences were found in distribution of P582S genotypes according to age of participants, body mass index, smoking status, and exercise habits (p>0.05). In conclusion, P582S HIF-1A polymorphism may not be associated with red blood indices among women. More studies in other populations are needed to confirm this finding.