A variation in a gene involved in regulating cholesterol in the bloodstream also appears to affect progesterone production in women, making it a likely culprit in a substantial number of cases of their infertility, a new study from Johns Hopkins researchers suggests.
The Hopkins group has also developed a simple blood test for this variation of the scavenger receptor class B type 1 gene (SCARB1) but emphasized there is no approved therapy yet to address the problem in infertile women.
Following up studies in female mice that first linked a deficiency in these receptors for HDL — the so-called “good” or “healthy” cholesterol — and infertility, researchers report finding the same link in studies of women with a history of infertility. If the new study’s findings hold up on further investigation, the John Hopkins team says they not only will offer clues into a genetic cause of some infertility, but could also lead to a treatment already shown to work in mice.
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