N Darabi - Department of Molecular Cell Biology-Genetics, Faculty of BasicSciences and Advanced Technologies in biology, University of Scienceand Culture, Tehran, Iran . Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine ResearchCenter, Royan Ins titute for Reproducti
M Mashayekhi - Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, ReproductiveBiomedicine Research Center, Royan Ins titute for ReproductiveBiomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
P Borjian Boroujeni - Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine ResearchCenter, Royan Ins titute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR,Tehran, Iran
P Mohtasebi - Department of Genetics, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic AzadUniversity, Tehran, Iran
MR Zamanian - Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine ResearchCenter, Royan Ins titute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR,Tehran, Iran

Background: Multiple genetic as well as uterine factors mayaffect endometrial receptivity during window of implantation(WOI). APOE is one of the genes that has been associatedwith increased endometrial expression during WOI. APOEis a polymorphic gene with ۳ major allelic forms (E۲, E۳ andE۴) and main precursor of choles terol and s teroid hormones. Inthis s tudy we compared frequency of APOE variants in fertile women, ART success cases and RIF patients.Materials and Methods: ۱۰۰ women with successful ART whobecame pregnant (FHR+) in their firs t or second cycle of IVFor ICSI, ۱۰۰ infertile RIF cases and ۱۰۰ normal fertile controlswere included. Genotyping was done by using PCR+RFLP withHhaI enzyme. S tatis tical analysis performed by chi-square andFisher Exact tes t in SPSS (p-value<۰.۰۵).Results: Genotype frequencies in RIF patients, ART successgroup and fertile women were: E۲/E۳: ۵, ۵, and ۸%, E۳/E۳: ۶۶,۸۲, and ۷۷%, E۳/E۴: ۲۹, ۱۳, and ۱۵%, respectively. Based ons tatis tical analysis RIF group had significantly higher frequencyfor E۳/E۴ genotype compared to the other two control groups(P value=۰.۰۰۷). The allele frequencies in RIF, ART+ and fertilegroups were: E۲: ۲.۵, ۲.۵, and ۴%, E۳: ۸۳, ۹۱% and ۸۸.۵%,E۴: ۱۴.۵, ۶.۵, and ۷.۵%, respectively. There was significant differencefor E۴ allele frequency in RIF group (P value=۰.۰۰۷)compared to other groups.Conclusion: According to our results we sugges t that APOE۴polymorphism can be considered as a potential risk factor forhuman embryonic implantation.

Assis ted Reproductive Technology, APOE Ppolymorphism,Endometrial Receptivity, Recurrent ImplantationFailure