Agt and Blood Pressure in an African Derived Population

Journal of Human Hypertension (2004), 1–13 & 2004 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 0950-9240/04 $25.00

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

AGT and RH blood group polymorphisms affect blood pressure and lipids in Afro-Caribbeans

MT Robinson1, TW Wilson2, GA Nicholson3, GAC Grell4, C Etienne5, CM Grim6, D Wilson2 and CE Grim7

1

Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; 2Wilson Research and Consulting, LLC, Cincinnati, OH, USA; 3University of the West Indies, Barbados; 4University of the West Indies, EC; 5Director of Primary Care, Ministry of Health, Dominica; 6Share Care Research and Education, Inc., Milwaukee, WI, USA; 7 Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

Population blood pressure variation is most likely due to multiple genes. This is likely the reason why monogenic testing with the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene polymorphisms on chromosome 1 (1q42–43), especially M235T, has met with negative results, especially in those of African descent. The RH blood group system, also on chromosome 1 (1 p36.2–34), has likewise been associated with blood pressure variation in AfricanAmericans and with the rise in blood pressure with age in whites. Using a random sample of the population, we investigated the combined effects of single and combined variation of the AGTN M235T and RH genotypes on blood pressure, lipids, and lipoprotein concentrations in Afro-Caribbeans aged 18–60 years from the island nation of Dominica. In monogenic analysis, AGT M235T was not associated with blood pressure. However, it was associated with HDL (MM 42723, MT 44712, TT 52714 (P ¼ 0.002)). RH genotype was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (P ¼ 0.006) and Apo-A (P ¼ 0.003). These effects remained after adjustment for age, gender, weight, and BMI. In the Keywords: genetics; RAA system; RH system

polygenetic analysis, AGT M235T and RH were significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (P...