ERCC1 rs11615: What Your Genotype Means
The genetic variant rs11615 is a common synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism situated in the ERCC1 gene, an essential component of the nucleotide excision repair pathway. Research has evaluated this variant for modest associations with ovarian biology, natural age at menopause, and cellular responses to platinum-based chemotherapy. Current scientific evidence connecting rs11615 directly to reproductive milestones remains limited, with results showing modest effect sizes and substantial variation across ancestral populations.
What each genotype means
Typical reproductive aging timing
You carry two copies of the C allele at rs11615 in the ERCC1 gene. In genetic studies of reproductive aging and ovarian reserve markers, this genotype is considered the baseline profile, reflecting typical population averages for natural menopausal age. However, overall scientific evidence linking this synonymous variant to differences in reproductive lifespan remains limited and varies across ancestral backgrounds.
Carried by approximately 30% to 40% of individuals of European ancestry, and is also common across worldwide populations.
Intermediate reproductive timing profile
You have one copy of the C allele and one copy of the T allele at rs11615. Some exploratory genetic studies have investigated whether carrying the T allele influences DNA repair efficiency and subtly alters ovarian reserve or age at natural menopause, but reported effects are very modest. Because available scientific evidence is limited and mixed, this genotype does not reliably predict reproductive timing on its own.
Carried by roughly 45% to 50% of people across most global populations, representing the most frequent genotype.
Minor variation in reproductive markers
You carry two copies of the T allele at rs11615. Published association studies have evaluated this genotype for subtle shifts in ovarian reserve indicators and natural menopausal age due to ERCC1's role in nucleotide excision repair pathways. Current evidence is limited and non-diagnostic, meaning it does not determine your reproductive lifespan or indicate any reproductive disorder.
Carried by approximately 15% to 20% of individuals of European ancestry, with similar or slightly lower frequencies in East Asian populations.
What is rs11615 and where is it located?
The single nucleotide polymorphism rs11615 (often reported as C118T, C8092A, or G>A depending on strand orientation and historical reference transcripts) is located on chromosome 19 inside the ERCC1 gene. Clinically cataloged in dbSNP, this variant represents a single base transition between cytosine (C) and thymine (T), often recorded on the opposite strand as guanine (G) and adenine (A). Because it is a synonymous mutation (typically coding for an invariant asparagine residue at codon 118), it does not change the amino acid sequence of the resulting protein. Instead, researchers hypothesize that synonymous variants like rs11615 might exert biological effects through subtle alterations in messenger RNA stability, translation kinetics, or alternative splicing. Despite being widely studied in molecular epidemiology, it does not disrupt the fundamental structural integrity of the gene.
The biological role of the ERCC1 gene
ERCC1 encodes the excision repair cross-complementation group 1 protein, which forms an obligate heterodimer with the XPF endonuclease. Together, the ERCC1-XPF complex is a rate-limiting catalytic unit in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway, responsible for recognizing and cleaving bulky DNA adducts, ultraviolet-induced helix distortions, and interstrand DNA crosslinks. Maintaining genomic integrity via robust NER machinery is essential throughout human physiology, including within the germline. In reproductive biology, cellular DNA repair systems preserve the quality and longevity of dormant oocytes stored within primordial ovarian follicles. Deficiencies in DNA repair pathways have been hypothesized to accelerate follicular attrition over time, thereby influencing the pace of ovarian aging, overall functional reserve, and the timing of natural menopause.
Scientific evidence: Ovarian reserve, menopause, and oncology
A range of candidate-gene association studies have evaluated whether rs11615 modulates female reproductive longevity. Because oocyte depletion is partly driven by cumulative DNA damage, small variations in ERCC1 efficiency have been investigated for links to ovarian reserve markers and menopausal age. However, large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) often find that candidate-gene findings for reproductive traits fail to reach stringent significance thresholds or show small, heterogeneous effects across different ethnic cohorts. Interestingly, rs11615 has also been extensively examined in pharmacogenomics, particularly regarding tumor response to platinum-based chemotherapy in ovarian and lung cancers, where the T allele has been associated with differential repair capacity. Overall, clinical evidence regarding reproductive outcomes remains classified as limited and exploratory, meaning findings should be viewed as population-level statistical signals rather than definitive causal drivers.
Population distribution and ancestry differences
According to broad population datasets such as the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) and 1000 Genomes, rs11615 is highly common worldwide. In European ancestry populations, the minor allele frequency typically ranges between 0.35 and 0.45, making heterozygous and homozygous variant genotypes frequent occurrences in the general public. Frequencies can vary across other global ancestries, including East Asian and African groups, with differing patterns of linkage disequilibrium across nearby genomic regions. Because the variant is so prevalent and frequently carried by healthy individuals with completely typical reproductive spans and health outcomes, population geneticists consider it a normal polymorphic feature of human genomic diversity rather than a rare pathogenic mutation.
Interpreting your genetic data: What you can and cannot do
Discovering your rs11615 genotype through personal genome sequencing provides insight into standard variations within your DNA repair pathways, but it cannot be used as a personal diagnostic tool. The variant cannot predict when an individual will enter menopause, quantify current ovarian reserve, or confirm reproductive lifespan. Menopausal timing and fertility are complex traits shaped by hundreds of polygenic markers, lifestyle factors, environmental exposures, and overall health. Furthermore, although rs11615 appears in oncology literature regarding platinum chemotherapy resistance, these findings are population associations and not validated guidelines for personal medication selection. Readers should never alter medication schedules or make reproductive decisions based on direct-to-consumer genetic readouts without consulting a board-certified genetic counselor or medical provider.
How common is this variant?
The minor allele frequency for rs11615 is estimated between 0.35 and 0.45 across European cohorts, with substantial variation and distinct linkage disequilibrium structures observed across other global ancestral populations.
Frequently asked questions
Can testing rs11615 tell me when I will reach menopause?
No. While candidate gene studies have evaluated ERCC1 variants in relation to reproductive aging, the effect of rs11615 is very small and non-diagnostic. The onset of natural menopause is a polygenic trait influenced by numerous genetic loci as well as environmental and health factors.
Is the rs11615 variant linked to female infertility?
Current research does not establish rs11615 as a direct cause of infertility or premature ovarian insufficiency. It is a common synonymous variant found across healthy populations, and routine clinical fertility evaluations rely on physiological markers like AMH levels and antral follicle counts rather than this single SNP.
Why is ERCC1 rs11615 often mentioned in cancer research?
Because ERCC1 plays a central role in repairing bulky DNA damage, researchers frequently study whether variants like rs11615 influence how cancer cells respond to platinum-based chemotherapies. However, these observational associations are complex, often inconsistent between cancer types, and not currently used as standard clinical determinants for chemotherapy dosing.
Does having the T allele mean my DNA repair system is broken?
No. The rs11615 single nucleotide polymorphism is a synonymous change that does not alter the underlying amino acid sequence of the ERCC1 enzyme. Carrying one or two copies of the T allele is extremely common across the world and reflects normal human genetic variation.
Sources & further reading
Educational information only, last refreshed 9/14/2026. Not medical advice — these associations describe population statistics, not individual predictions.
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