A1166C Polymorphism of the Angiotensin II AT1 Receptor Gene and Blood Preassure and Other Atherosclerosis Risk Factors in Subjects without Clinical Manifestations of Atherosclerotic Diseases

Abstract

Background Increased activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosteron system can facilitate development of arteriosclerosis and may play a role in pathophysiology of arterial hypertension.
Material and methods We examined 667 subjects, 541 men, mean age 44 ± 9 years and 126 women, mean age 44 ± 7 years, who did not have any symptoms of coronary artery disease, stroke or other atherosclerotic diseases. We measured blood pressure, weight, height, waist and hip circumference, fasting serum glucose and lipids levels. In each subject resting ECG was recorded. The polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to determine the angiotensin II AT1 receptor genotype.
Results There was no significant difference in the genotype distribution and allel frequency between subjects with normal (AA — 55%, AC — 38%, CC — 7%, allel A — 74%, allel C — 26% in men and AA — 52%, AC — 38%, CC — 10%, allel A — 71%, allel C — 29% in women) and high blood pressure (AA — 57%, AC — 38%, CC — 5%, allel A — 76%, allel C — 24% in men and AA — 47%, AC — 45%, CC — 8%, allel A — 70%, allel C — 30% in women). Distribution of common atherosclerosis risk factors was independent from angiotensin II AT1 receptor gene polymorphism. There was also no significant difference in the genotype distribution between subjects with l0 low (< 5%) and high (> 20%) risk of coronary event for men and women.
Conclusions It seems that the presence of a particular angiotensin II AT1 receptor gene polymorphic variant has no significant influence on blood pressure level and other studied risk factors of atherosclerosis.