Gender specific association of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene (Glu298Asp) polymorphism with essential hypertension in a south Indian population.
BACKGROUND
Endothelial derived nitric oxide (NO) plays a major role in blood pressure regulation. The role of missense variant eNOS-Glu298Asp has been demonstrated by many studies with conflicting results. Our objective was to investigate the association of eNOS gene polymorphism with essential hypertension in a south Indian population.


METHODS
We carried out a case control study in 438 hypertensive patients and 444 healthy control subjects in a homogenous population. Genotyping was done by PCR-RFLP method. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to detect the association between genotype and hypertension.


RESULTS
The homozygous variant genotype Asp298Asp was significantly associated with hypertension (odds ratio 2.4; 95% CI, 1.23-5.0, p<0.01). Gender specific analysis showed both the heterozygous (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9, p<0.01) and homozygous variants (odds ratio, 7.9; 95% CI, 2.0-4.1, p<0.001) were positively associated with hypertension in females. The variant allele Asp was higher in female hypertensives when compared to male hypertensive cases (22% vs. 16%).


CONCLUSIONS
The eNOS gene polymorphism is a candidate gene for hypertension and the association to be gender specific with respect to females in a south Indian Tamilian population.
Periaswamy
Ramu
R
Department of Pharmacology, JIPMER, Pondicherry 605 006, India.
Gurusamy
Umamaheswaran
U
Shewade
Deepak Gopal
DG
Cherian
Akkarapatty
A
Swaminathan
Rathinam Palamalai
RP
Dutta
Tarun Kumar
TK
Jayaraman
Balachander
B
Chandrasekaran
Adithan
A
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012737:Sex Factors
D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III