title: Plasma hydrogen peroxide production in human essential hypertension: role of heredity, gender, and ethnicity.
abstract: Oxygen free radicals, including hydrogen peroxide, may mediate oxidative stress in target organ tissues and contribute to cardiovascular complications in hypertension. To examine heritability of hydrogen peroxide production, we investigated this trait in a family-based cohort consisting of family members (n=236) ascertained through probands (n=57) with essential hypertension. Significant effects on hydrogen peroxide production were found for gender and ethnicity, with men having greater values than women (P<0.001) and white subjects having greater values than black subjects (P=0.025). Hydrogen peroxide production correlated directly with plasma renin activity (P=0.015), suggesting an important interaction between circulating oxygen radicals and the renin-angiotensin system and a potential mechanism for lower hydrogen peroxide values observed in blacks. Heritability estimates from familial correlations revealed that approximately 20% to 35% of the observed variance in hydrogen peroxide production could be attributed to genetic factors, suggesting a substantial heritable component to the overall determination of this trait. Hydrogen peroxide production negatively correlated with cardiac contractility (r=-0.214, P=0.001) and renal function (r=-0.194, P=0.003). In conclusion, these results indicate that hydrogen peroxide production is heritable and is related to target organ function in essential hypertension. Genetic loci influencing hydrogen peroxide production may represent logical candidates to investigate as susceptibility genes for cardiovascular target organ injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Whitaker Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lacy
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kailasam
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Schmid-Schönbein
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Parmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016877:Oxidants / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000235:genetics*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D016877:Oxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide