title: AGT and AT1R gene polymorphism in hypertensive heart disease.
abstract: Left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with hypertension is a main clinical prognostic entity The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between mutations at genes of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the development of left ventricular hypertrophy. Genetic polymorphism in angiotensinogen (AGT) and angiotensin Il-type 1 receptor (AT1R) genes was examined in a group of well-selected essential hypertensive caucasians with left ventricular involvement (n = 40) and a group of healthy unrelated caucasians (n = 150). Cardiac morphology and function were assessed by M-mode echocardiography. Molecular variants were analysed by amplified fragment length polymorphism. We observed a statistically significant difference both for AGT and AT1R genotype distribution in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy compared with controls (p<0.05). A 0.49 and 0.225 frequency was detected among cases for T and C mutant alleles at AGT and AT1R genes. Mutations in RAS genes are involved in the pathophysiology of target-organ damage in essential hypertension. Evaluation of molecular factors conferring a risk of developing heart involvement may lead to better identification of patient subgroups and more effective control of the clinical course.
authors.affiliation: Hypertension Centre, Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mettimano
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Romano-Spica
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ianni
authors.forename: Ml
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Specchia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Migneco
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Savi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000808:Angiotensinogen / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D044140:Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin / Q000235:genetics*; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D044140:Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin; D000808:Angiotensinogen