A novel locus for arterial hypertension on chromosome 1p36 maps to a metabolic syndrome trait cluster in the Sorbs, a Slavic population isolate in Germany.
OBJECTIVE
Genome-wide linkage studies and genome-wide association studies have not as yet identified major genes contributing to primary hypertension in the general population. This state-of-affairs suggests considerable heterogeneity with small contributing effects for primary hypertension, or other complex genetic traits, in outbred populations. Isolated populations, as recent data from Iceland and French Canada suggest, could offer a solution to this problem.


METHODS
We studied a Slavic isolate in Germany, the Sorbs, and genotyped 1040 polymorphic microsatellite markers in 87 multigeneration families.


RESULTS
Our genome-wide linkage scan revealed a locus on chromosome 1p36.13 at D1S3669-D1S2826 (40.95 cM Marshfield coordinates; logarithm of the odds = 3.45, nominal P = 0.00003) that reached genome-wide significance (P = 0.004), indicating the increased power in isolated populations. The chromosome 1 locus maps to a region in which traits such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity and BMI cluster.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that this locus contributes to the metabolic syndrome, and that further attention in this and other populations is warranted.
Institute of Medical Genetics, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany. katrin.hoffmann.genetik@charite.de
Katrin
K
Hoffmann
Christian
C
Planitz
Franz
F
Rüschendorf
Bertram
B
Müller-Myhsok
Hans H
HH
Stassen
Barbara
B
Lucke
Manuel
M
Mattheisen
Michael
M
Stumvoll
Rolf
R
Bochmann
Martin
M
Zschornack
Thomas F
TF
Wienker
Peter
P
Nürnberg
André
A
Reis
Friedrich C
FC
Luft
Tom H
TH
Lindner
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study / Q000379:methods; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics*; D008126:Lod Score; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics*; D044382:Population Groups / Q000235:genetics*