Aim: To study associations of C825T (rs5443) and G272S (rs16932941) polymorphisms of GNB3 gene in Russian population of the Central Chernozem region with essential hypertension (EH) risk; to elicit the role of environmental risk factors in realization of EH predisposition in this gene genotypes carriers.
Material and methods: We studied DNA samples obtained from 205 EH patients and 207 healthy individuals. EH patients were treated in Kursk hospitals. Genotyping of GNB3 gene polymorphisms was conducted by polymerase chain reaction and restriction analysis.
Results: Prevalence of 82ST allele of GNB3 gene in EH patients and healthy individual was 0.334 and 0.295, respectively, of 272S allele--0.037 and 0.058, respectively. We found no significant differences by prevalence of genotypes of gene GNB3 polymorphisms C825T and G272S in EH patients and healthy individuals. Non-smoking carriers of 272GS genotype had a low risk of EH (OR 0.42 in 95% CI from 0.18 to 0.97; p = 0.04). Smokers had no protective effect of this genotype. The protective effect of 272GS genotype was also found in individuals with low or moderate alcohol drinking habits (OR 0.29 in 95% CI from 0.11 to 0.77, p = 0.02) and in individuals without chronic exposure to stress (OR 0.29 in 95% CI from 0.09 to 0.91, p = 0.04). In contrast, hard drinkers and patients exposed to chronic stress had no protective effect of heterozygous genotype 272GS of gene GNB3.
Conclusion: G272S polymorphism of GNB3 gene can be considered as a new genetic marker of predisposition to EH. The protective effect depends of environmental factors associated with high risk to develop EH.