G(-699)/C polymorphism in the bradykinin-1 receptor gene in patients with renal failure

Bradykinin is thought to have protective effects on the progression of renal failure. Of particular interest, it has been reported that one polymorphism in the promoter region of the human kinin B1-receptor gene which is associated with higher activity, is less frequently found in patients with end-stage renal failure. The present study was performed to independently confirm these results.

Cross-sectional study on 376 healthy controls, 262 non-diabetic dialysis patients and 175 patients with type 1 diabetes >/=10 years and microalbuminuria (of whom 21 were dialysis-dependent) and 334 patients with type 2 diabetes >/=10 years and nephropathy (of whom 61 were dialysis-dependent).

Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction, followed by restriction enzyme analysis.

All groups were in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium. The study showed no significant difference in the frequency of the C-allele between controls (0.093) and non-diabetic dialysis patients (0.095). No significant difference in C-allele frequency was observed between controls and patients with type 1 diabetes and microalbuminuria (0.092) or patients with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy (0.099).

In large cohorts of patients with non-diabetic end-stage renal disease and diabetic renal disease with and without end-stage renal failure, no change in the frequency of the C-699 allele of the B-1-receptor gene was found.