title: Aberrant methylation of the GCK gene body is associated with the risk of essential hypertension.
abstract: Essential hypertension (EH) is commonly accompanied by a dysfunction of glucose metabolism. Glucokinase (GCK) is a key enzyme involved in glucose metabolism. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether GCK gene-body methylation contributed to the risk of EH. A total of 47 patients with EH and 47 age-matched controls were recruited for methylation research in the current study. GCK gene-body methylation was measured using bisulphite pyrosequencing technology. DNA methylation levels were closely correlated among CpG1, CpG2 and CpG3 (r>0.70; P<0.001), in contrast with a weaker correlation between CpG4 and the preceding three CpGs (r<0.3 or r=1; P>0.05). Significantly lower CpG13 methylation (cases vs. controls, 49.13 ± 5.72 vs. 53.49 ± 7.53%; adjusted P=0.006) and significantly higher CpG4 methylation (cases vs. controls, 46.34 ± 6.48 vs. 34.74 ± 12.73%; adjusted P=0.002) were observed in patients with EH. The present study indicated that aberrant methylation of the GCK gene body was significantly associated with the risk of EH in the population assessed. The discrepancies between CpG1‑3 and CpG4 methylation may suggest distinct roles for each of them in the determination of the risk of EH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Ningbo Baizhang Street Community Health Service Center, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei-Jie
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qi-Long
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shi-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xu-Ting
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, The Seventh Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ling-Mei
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Na
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D000075222:Essential Hypertension; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D005941:Glucokinase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012306:Risk; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D005941:Glucokinase