title: The lack of relationship between an endothelin-1 gene polymorphism (Ala288ser) and incidence of hypertension: a retrospective cohort study among Japanese workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some case-control association studies revealed the relationship between some endothelin-1 (ET-1) gene polymorphisms and blood pressure. Because no report was available about the relationship between any ET-1 gene polymorphism and incidence of hypertension, we examined the relationship between novel ET-1 gene polymorphism (G862T / Ala288Ser in exon 5) and incidence of hypertension by a retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were Japanese workers at a company in Shimane Prefecture in Japan. The polymorphism with genome DNA extracted from the blood of the workers was analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction confronting two pair primers method. According to the results of two regular health checkups with a 6-year interval, the study population was divided into two groups by blood pressure and antihypertensive treatment in 1998, after excluding people who had hypertension in 1992.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 133 (93 males and 40 females) incidences of hypertension observed among the study population of 922 (540 males and 382 females). In the univariate analysis, odds ratios of Ala/Ser and Ser/Ser against Ala/Ala were 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI]): 0.7-1.4) and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.4-1.6), respectively. In the multivariate analysis adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, serum total cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, and smoking and drinking habits, odds ratios for Ala/Ser and Ser/Ser against Ala/Ala were 0.97 (95% CI: 0.7-1.4) and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.4-1.5), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ET-1 gene polymorphism in this study did not seem to be associated with the incidence of hypertension among the Japanese workers.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Tottori, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaetsu
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Yoneatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osaki
authors.forename: Mikizoh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Soji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurozawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1