title: Genome-wide scans for microalbuminuria in Mexican Americans: the San Antonio Family Heart Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Microalbuminuria, defined as urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio of 0.03 to 0.299 mg/mg, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Several genetic epidemiological studies have established that microalbuminuria clusters in families, suggesting a genetic predisposition.
  
  
  METHODS
  We estimated heritability of microalbuminuria and performed a genome-wide linkage analysis to identify chromosomal regions influencing urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio in 486 Mexican Americans from 26 multiplex families.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant heritability was demonstrated for urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (h = 24%, P < 0.003) after accounting for age, sex, body mass index, triglycerides, and hypertension. Genome scan revealed significant evidence of linkage of urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio to a region on chromosome 20q12 (LOD score of 3.5, P < 0.001) near marker D20S481. This region also exhibited a LOD score of 2.8 with diabetes status as a covariate and 3.0 with hypertension status as a covariate suggesting that the effect of this locus on urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio is largely independent of diabetes and hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings indicate that there is a gene or genes located on human chromosome 20q12 that may have functional relevance to albumin excretion in Mexican Americans. Identifying and understanding the role of the genes that determine albumin excretion would lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeted at high-risk individuals in whom intensive preventive measures may be most beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine/Nephrology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, 78229-4404, USA. ararn@uthscsa.edu
authors.forename: Nedal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arar
authors.forename: Subrata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nath
authors.forename: Farook
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thameem
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Saroja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Voruganti
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Comuzzie
authors.forename: Shelley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blangero
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: MacCluer
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abboud
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002890:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 20 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D040582:Inheritance Patterns; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000235:genetics*; D010375:Pedigree; D012737:Sex Factors; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides