Interactions of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T Polymorphism with Environmental Factors on Hypertension Susceptibility.
Hypertension is considered to be the result of genes, environment, and their interactions. Among them age, sex, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and being overweight/obesity are well documented environmental determinants, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism is nominated as a potential genetic candidate. However, the synergistic effect of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism with these environmental factors on the risk of hypertension has received little attention. The aim of this study was to explore the associations of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism, environmental factors, and their interactions with hypertension predisposition in a Northern Chinese Han population. A total of 708 participants were enrolled in the study. The genotypes of the MTHFR C677T were determined by a TaqMan assay. We found that participants of an older age, being overweight/obesity, with a smoking habit, drinking habit, or carrying the 677T allele were at an increased risk of hypertension. Additionally, there existed marginally significant interactions of the polymorphism with age and overweight/obesity. However, future large, well-designed studies in Chinese and other populations, as well as mechanistic studies, are still needed to validate our findings, especially considering that the interactions observed in our study were only marginally significant.
Environment and Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110013, China. fanfan0721ykl@163.com.
Shujun
S
Fan
Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. yangby23@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Boyi
B
Yang
Environment and Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110013, China. zhixy90smile@126.com.
Xueyuan
X
Zhi
Division of Molecular Preventive Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Targeted Therapy and Molecular Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China. wangyanxun@genechina.com.
Yanxun
Y
Wang
Brain Disease Center, Tianjin Dagang Oil Field General Hospital, Tianjin 300280, China. weijiantianjin@163.com.
Jian
J
Wei
Environment and Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110013, China. qmzheng@mail.cmu.edu.cn.
Quanmei
Q
Zheng
Environment and Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110013, China. sungf@mail.cmu.edu.cn.
Guifan
G
Sun
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000235:genetics
D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)
MTHFR C677T; environmental factors; hypertension; interaction