title: Association between the -2518G/A polymorphism in the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) gene and hypertension in Tunisian patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1:CCL2) has been demonstrated to be involved in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and hypertension. This study was aimed to investigate whether the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at -2518 of the MCP-1 gene promoter region is associated to hypertension in a sample of Tunisian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 290 Tunisian patients with hypertension and 390 normotensive controls were included in the study. The SNP of the MCP-1 gene was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant difference in genotype distribution and allele frequency was observed between patients and controls. Patients with hypertension had a frequency of 7.2% for the GG genotype, 35.2% for the AG genotype and 57.6% for the AA genotype. Normotensive subjects had a frequency of 3.6% for the GG genotype, 29.7% for the AG genotype and 66.7% for the AA genotype (chi(2)=8.02, p=0.01). The hypertension patient group showed a significant higher frequency of the G allele compared to the controls [0.24 vs. 0.18; OR (95%CI), 1.46 (1.11-1.91), p=0.004]. The association between the -2518 G/A polymorphism of MCP-1 gene and hypertension remained significant after adjustment for other well-established cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed a significant and independent association between the -2518G/A polymorphism of the MCP-1 gene (presence of G allele) and hypertension in the Tunisian population.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory LR99ES11, Department of Biochemistry, Rabta University Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia. jemaa_riadh@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Riadh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jemaa
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Ali
authors.forename: Amani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kallel
authors.forename: Souheil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.forename: Moncef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feki
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elasmi
authors.forename: Samah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haj-Taïeb
authors.forename: Haïfa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sanhaji
authors.forename: Naziha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaabachi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D018932:Chemokine CCL2