title: [Genetic polymorphisms of the renin-angiotensin system and essential hypertension].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is known to regulate the blood pressure (BP). Several RAS polymorphisms have been associated with essential hypertension (EH), but there is uncertainty about this association. We examined whether the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene, and the M235T polymorphism of the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene were associated with EH in a sample of Spanish hipertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 1,204 patients with EH (BP > 140/90 mmHg): 668 males, aged 50.8 (13.6) years with systolic BP 151.7 (19.1) and diastolic BP 94.3 (13) mmHg [mean (SD)] and 536 females, aged 52.4 (13.9) years with systolic BP 155.1 (19.8) and diastolic BP 94.5 (12.3) mmHg. As a control group, 367 men and 280 women with no family history of cardiovascular disease who had a normal blood pressure were included. Polymorphisms were determined by PCR amplification of genomic DNA, followed by enzyme digestion for the AGT gene polymorphism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The genotype distribution and allele frequencies of the two RAS polymorphisms were similar in hypertensive and control subjects. Similarly, there were no differences in BP level with regard to the genotype in male or female patients. In addition, we did not find any compound effect of the I/D ACE gene and M235T AGT gene polymorphisms on BP levels in hypertensive subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that in the population studied, the contribution of the ACE I/D polymorphism and the AGT M235T polymorphism in the development of EH is less important than previously estimated.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Hipertensión. Servicios de Nefrología y Medicina Interna. Hospital Clínic IDIBAPS. Barcelona. Spain. epoch@medicina.ub.es
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Poch
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de La Sierra
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: González-Núñez
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oriola
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Redón
authors.forename: Felipe J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giner
authors.forename: Encarnación
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pamies
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villar
authors.forename: Reposo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stiefel
authors.forename: José Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Pérez
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Esparragón
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Lucinio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carrión
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanchís
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Divisón
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000235:genetics*