MILLIONS of women may be susceptible to miscarriage or having children with birth defects as a result of carrying genes for a common enzyme deficiency, research on mice suggests.
The enzyme neutralises free radicals, reactive chemicals that damage cells. So if human studies confirm the link, it may be possible to prevent some miscarriages and birth defects by reducing the levels of free radicals circulating in women's bodies-by giving them antioxidants, for instance.
Miscarriage is thought to occur in at least 15 per cent of pregnancies. Many factors have been implicated as possible causes
Peter Wells and his colleagues at the University of Toronto have now thrown fresh light on the problem by studying mice producing low levels of an enzyme called G6PD. This helps maintain levels of glutathione, a peptide that detoxifies free ...
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