title: Association between hypertension and variation in the alpha- and beta-adducin genes in a white population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The substitution of tryptophan for glycine at amino acid 460 (Gly460Trp polymorphism) of the alpha-subunit of the heterodimeric cytoskeleton protein adducin increases renal sodium reabsorption and may be involved in the pathophysiology of essential hypertension. In the present study, we investigated in multivariate analyses whether the risk of hypertension was associated with the C1797T polymorphism of the beta-adducin gene.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1848 subjects randomly selected from a white population were genotyped. Study nurses measured blood pressure at the participants' homes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequencies of the alpha-adducin Trp and beta-adducin T alleles were 0.23 and 0.11, respectively. In men (N = 904), the beta-adducin T allele was not associated with hypertension [adjusted relative risk (RR) vs. CC homozygotes 0.94, P = 0.77], but T allele carriers had lower plasma renin activity (PRA) and 24-hour urinary aldosterone excretion (P < 0.04). In all women (N = 944), beta-adducin T allele carriers had a higher risk of hypertension than CC homozygotes (RR 1.81, CI 1.18-2.77, P = 0.007), but similar PRA and 24-hour urinary aldosterone excretion (P> 0.29). In 345 post-menopausal women and 190 users of oral contraceptives, the RRs of hypertension were 2.47 (CI 1.34-4.64, P = 0.003) and 2.56 (CI 0.83-7.86, P = 0.10), respectively. For systolic pressure in women, there was a significant interaction (P = 0.02) between the alpha- and beta-adducin polymorphisms. Only in female carriers of the mutated alpha-adducin Trp allele was the systolic pressure significantly higher in beta-adducin T allele carriers compared with CC homozygotes (+3.8 mm Hg, P = 0.02). Furthermore, in the presence of the mutated alpha-adducin Trp allele, the RRs associated with the beta-adducin T allele were 2.35 (P = 0.01) in all women, 2.92 (P = 0.03) in post-menopausal subjects, and 3.79 (P = 0.09) in users of oral contraceptives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 1797T allele of the beta-adducin gene is associated with increased risk of hypertension in post-menopausal women and in users of oral contraceptives, particularly in the presence of the mutated alpha-adducin Trp allele. We hypothesize that inhibition of the renin-aldosterone system in men and absence of such a compensatory mechanism in women may explain, at least to some extent, the sexual dimorphism of the blood pressure phenotype in relation to the C1797T beta-adducin polymorphism.
authors.affiliation: Studiecoördinatiecentrum, Hypertensie en Cardiovasculaire Revalidatie Eenheid, Departement voor Moleculair en Cardiovasculair Onderzoek, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ji-Guang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Staessen
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barlassina
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fagard
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuznetsova
authors.forename: Harry A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Struijker-Boudier
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zagato
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Citterio
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Messaggio
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017678:Sex Distribution; D000099291:Adducins
chemical_list: D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D000099291:Adducins