This case-control study explored the relationship between SNPs in miR-221 and self-reported essential hypertension, as well as interactions between genetic and environmental factors, in a multiethnic Chinese cohort. A MassArray analysis was performed to genotype 462 patients with essential hypertension and 442 healthy participants. The association between four SNPs in miR-221 and essential hypertension risk was determined by investigating the differences in allelic and genotypic frequencies between case and control groups using PLINK version 1.07 software. A 4 × 2 table approach was conducted to explore the synergistic effect of SNPs and environmental factors on the risk of essential hypertension. Subjects with the C allele of rs2858060 in miR-221 had a lower risk of essential hypertension than those with the G allele (OR = 0.692; 95% CI = 0.521-0.920; P = 0.011). Logistic regression analysis showed that carriers of the CC genotype had a significantly lower risk of essential hypertension than those with the homozygous GG genotype (OR = 0.679; 95% CI = 0.498-0.925; P = 0.014). Using crossover analyses, we identified significant interactions between rs2858060 and the effect of age, triglycerides, HDL-C, ApoB, and fasting blood glucose on essential hypertension risk. We conclude that rs2858060 in miR-221 is associated with essential hypertension risk in the Chinese population, with a clear interaction between rs2858060 and classical risk factors in predicting the condition. Therefore, rs2858060 in miR-221 could play an important role as a genetic risk factor for the development of essential hypertension in the Chinese population.
Keywords: Self-reported essential hypertension; interaction; multiethnic study; single nucleotide polymorphisms.
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