Vitamin A (retinol), in the form of retinoic acid (RA), is essential for normal development of the human embryo. Studies in the mouse and zebrafish have shown that retinol is metabolized in the developing spinal cord and must be maintained in a precise balance along the anteroposterior axis. Both excess and deficiency of RA can affect morphogenesis, including failures of neural tube closure.
We chose to investigate 5 genes involved in the metabolism or synthesis of RA, ALDH1A2, CYP26A1, CYP26B1, CRABP1, and CRABP2, for their role in the development of human neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.
An association analysis using both allelic and genotypic single-locus tests revealed a significant association between the risk for spina bifida and 3 polymorphisms in the gene ALDH1A2; however, we found no evidence of a significant multilocus association.
These results may suggest that polymorphisms in ALDH1A2 may influence the risk for lumbosacral myelomeningocele in humans.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
4
8%
Neuroscience
3
6%
Other
6
12%
Unknown
13
26%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 12 November 2025.
All research outputs
#9,515,738
of 27,781,301 outputs
Outputs from Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology
#226
of 500 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#29,799
of 79,031 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology
#3
of 8 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 27,781,301 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 42nd percentile – i.e., 42% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 500 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 11.5. This one is in the 25th percentile – i.e., 25% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 79,031 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 11th percentile – i.e., 11% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 8 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has scored higher than 5 of them.
