Genetic Analysis of Candidate Gene Polymorphisms in Elderly Hypertension

• Published in: Nihon Rōnen Igakkai zasshi Vol. 36; no. 8; pp. 547 - 552
• Main Authors: Ishikawa, Kazuhiko, Sato, Noriyuki, Ogihara, Toshio, Higaki, Jitsuo, Katsuya, Tomohiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan The Japan Geriatrics Society 1999
• Subjects: Aged; Aging, Genetics; Angiotensin II - genetics; Angiotensinogen - genetics; Apolipoproteins - genetics; Case control study; Case-Control Studies; Female; Genetic predisposing factor; Humans; Hypertension - genetics; Male; Middle Aged; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A - genetics; Polymorphism, Genetic; Renin angiotensin system; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 0300-9173
• DOI: 10.3143/geriatrics.36.547

Recent developments in molecular biological techniques allowed us to examine the genetic risk factors responsible for essential hypertension. The candidate gene approach revealed that several gene polymorphisms increase the relative risk for hypertension. Most genetic studies, however, examined only young subjects but not elderly ones. To examine the importance of gene polymorphisms in elderly hypertension, we carried out a case-control study and compared the odds ratio for hypertension between young (<60) and elderly (≥60) subjects. The participants of this study were recruited from the outpatients of Osaka University Medical School with informed consent. We examined the following polymorphisms as candidates: the angiotensinogen (AGT/M235T), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE I/D), angiotensin II type 1 (AT1/A1166C) and type 2 (AT2/C3123A) receptors, alpha-adducin (adducin/Gly460Trp), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHHR/C677T), and apolipoprotein (apoE/epsilon 4, apoE/T-491A). In young subjects, the AGT/T235 allele significantly increased the odds ratio for hypertension but not in elderly subjects. In young males, the AT2/A3123 allele was also associated with hypertension but not in females or in elderly subjects. Other associations between polymorphism and hypertension did not reach a significant level. To sum up, it was revealed that some polymorphisms increase the susceptibility for hypertension but others do not, which suggests that there is heterogeneity in the genetic involvement of polymorphism due to aging.