Relation of the Glu298Asp polymorphism of the nitric oxide synthase gene to hypertension and serum cholesterol in Japanese workers.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether the Glu298Asp polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene possibly mediates the relation of blood pressure and serum cholesterol.


METHODS
Regular health examination in 2003 of 1,694 Japanese workers from the Shimane Prefecture, Japan.


RESULTS
The frequencies of the Glu/Glu, Glu/Asp, and Asp/Asp genotypes were 85.9%, 13.4%, and 0.7%, respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and lifestyle (drinking, smoking, exercise and stress), the odds ratio (OR) of hypertension associated with high (> or = 220 mg/dl or under treatment) total cholesterol was 2.08 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.02-4.24) among carriers of the eNOS 298Asp allele versus 1.18 (95% CI 0.89-1.55, p for interaction=0.50) among non-carriers. Similarly, the ORs of hypertension associated with counseling-need (120-139 mg/dl) and high (> or = 140 mg/dl) levels of LDL cholesterol among carriers of the eNOS 298Asp allele were significantly higher than those among non-carriers, at 2.65 (95% CI 1.16-6.01) versus 1.03 (95% CI 0.77-1.39, p for interaction=0.01), and 2.80 (95% CI 1.33-5.89) versus 0.95 (95% CI 0.71-1.26, p for interaction=0.04), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that the eNOS 298Asp allele, which is weakly associated with hypertension, may increase the risk of hypertension when associated with high serum lipid levels.
Division of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Tottori, Japan.
Tomoyo
T
Sawada
Takuji
T
Kishimoto
Yoneatsu
Y
Osaki
Mikizoh
M
Okamoto
Aya
A
Tahara
Akihiko
A
Kaetu
Yoichi
Y
Kurosawa
Kazuhiko
K
Kotani
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D018698:Glutamic Acid; D002784:Cholesterol; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III