Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and G71R mutation of the UGT1A1 gene in Turkish patients.

Abstract

Objective. Nonphysiologic hyperbilirubinemia of unexplained cause is prevalent among Turkish newborns, suggesting that there might be genetic risk factors in this population. Mutation of the UGT1A1 gene, glycine to arginine at codon 71 (G71R), is related to the development of neonatal jaundice in East Asian populations but the frequency of this mutation is rare among Caucasian populations. There are insufficient data on the G71R mutation in Turkish newborns with hyperbilirubinemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotypic distribution of the G71R mutation and its relationship with nonphysiologic hyperbilirubinemia of unexplained cause in Turkish newborns.