title: Association of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (C677T) with the risk of hypertension in Morocco.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertension is a multifactorial disease caused by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Mutations in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) have been known to be associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as hypertension. This case-control study was conducted out to measure the association of the polymorphism C677T of MTHFR with the risk of hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment analysis length was used to identify MTHFR C677T genotypes in patients 101 patients and 102 age and sex matched healthy controls. Odds ratio with 95 % confidence interval was used to assess the risk of association.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution of demographic and clinical features of patients showed no particular trend (p > 0.05). However, the frequency of homozygous 677T allele was higher in patients with a family history of heart disease (30.4 vs. 9 %, p = 0.031). Interestingly, the mutant 677TT genotype was significantly associated with the susceptibility of hypertension when compared to the wild type 677CC genotype (OR 5.4, CI 1.4-19.8, p = 0.008). In addition, the recessive model 677TT vs. 677CC/CT was found to be associated with the risk of hypertension (OR 5.3, CI 1.5-19.1, p = 0.005). However, the dominant model was not associated with the risk of hypertension in our cohort (OR 1.3, CI 0.7-2.2, p = 0.4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our findings, the homozygous mutant for 677TT of MTHFR gene is associated with the risk of hypertension in our population. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm the results of this study.
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Medical School of Casablanca, University Hassan II, 19 Rue Tarik Ibnou Ziad, BP. 9154, Casablanca, Morocco. nassereddinesanaa@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Sanaa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nassereddine
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Medical School of Casablanca, University Hassan II, 19 Rue Tarik Ibnou Ziad, BP. 9154, Casablanca, Morocco. kassoy2@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Yaya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kassogue
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ibn Rochd University Hospital, Casablanca, Morocco. korchi-fara@hotmail.fr.
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Korchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ibn Rochd University Hospital, Casablanca, Morocco. habbalrachida@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rachida
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Habbal
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Medical School of Casablanca, University Hassan II, 19 Rue Tarik Ibnou Ziad, BP. 9154, Casablanca, Morocco. nadifi@labgenmed.com.
authors.forename: Sellama
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nadifi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000201:enzymology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco; D017354:Point Mutation; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)