Association of the aldosterone synthase gene −344T>C polymorphism with essential hypertension and glucose homeostasis: A case-control study in a Han Chinese population

• Published in: Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology Vol. 38; no. 9; pp. 598 - 604
• Main Authors: Li, Xiao-Mu, Ling, Yan, Lu, Da-Ru, Lu, Zhi-Qiang, Yi, Qian-Lu, Liu, Ying, Chen, Hong-Yan, Gao, Xin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2011
• Subjects: aldosterone; Aldosterone - blood; Aldosterone - genetics; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Blood Pressure - genetics; Case-Control Studies; China; CYP11B2; Cytochrome P-450 CYP11B2 - blood; Cytochrome P-450 CYP11B2 - genetics; essential hypertension; Female; Gene Frequency - genetics; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genotype; glucose homeostasis; Homeostasis; Humans; Hypertension - blood; Hypertension - enzymology; Hypertension - genetics; Male; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Polymorphism, Genetic; China
• ISSN: 0305-1870; 1440-1681
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2011.05555.x

Summary 1. Aldosterone is a hormone that affects both blood pressure and glucose homeostasis. We studied the association of the aldosterone synthase gene (CYP11B2) polymorphism −344T>C with essential hypertension (EH) and glucose homeostasis in people in China. 2. We investigated the polymorphism −344T>C in CYP11B2 using a case–control study design (1059 cases and 1120 controls). Genotyping was carried out by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectroscopy using a MassARRAY platform. 3. The aldosterone synthase gene −344T>C polymorphism was found to be associated with EH (odds ratio 1.252; 95% confidence interval 1.067–1.468; Padd = 0.006). The −344C variant was found to be significantly associated with increased systolic blood pressure (Padd = 0.003) and diastolic blood pressure (Padd = 0.024) in controls and increased plasma aldosterone levels (Padd = 0.0001) in EH cases. The −344C variant was also found to be significantly associated with increased fasting glucose (Prec = 0.003) in controls. In the subgroup containing 893 EH cases without a history of diabetes or hypoglycaemia medications, the −344C variant was found to be associated with increased fasting and postprandial plasma glucose levels (Padd = 0.0001, Padd = 0.001, respectively) and decreased pancreatic β‐cell function and insulin sensitivity (Padd = 0.030, Pdom = 0.019, respectively) by homeostasis model assessments. 4. In this Han Chinese population, the −344T/C polymorphism of the CYP11B2 gene was found to be associated with EH and glucose homeostasis, both of which might be mediated by plasma aldosterone levels, insulin sensitivity and β‐cell function.