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Heme oxygenase-1 promoter polymorphisms: do they modulate neonatal hyperbilirubinemia?

Journal of Perinatology volume 37, pages 901–905 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

The role of genetic factors in the modulation of serum bilirubin levels and the pathophysiology of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is being increasingly recognized. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is the rate-limiting enzyme by which heme is catabolized to biliverdin and thence to bilirubin, with the simultaneous release of equimolar quantities of ferrous iron (Fe3+) and carbon monoxide. Polymorphisms of the HO-1 gene promoter may modulate transcriptional activity, thereby augmenting or attenuating HO-1 expression with resultant modulation of the production of bilirubin. Few studies have related these polymorphisms to neonatal bilirubin metabolism and have reported conflicting results. In this clinical review, we surveyed the role of HO-1 gene promoter polymorphisms in the control of bilirubin production and further considered their role, if any, in the pathophysiology of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    M Kaplan, R J Wong & D K Stevenson

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    M Kaplan, R J Wong & D K Stevenson

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  1. M Kaplan
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  2. R J Wong
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  3. D K Stevenson
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Correspondence to M Kaplan.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Presented in part at the 32nd Audrey K Brown Kernicterus Symposium held at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, USA, 2015.

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Kaplan, M., Wong, R. & Stevenson, D. Heme oxygenase-1 promoter polymorphisms: do they modulate neonatal hyperbilirubinemia?. J Perinatol 37, 901–905 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2017.6

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