Angiotensinogen and endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms among Hispanic patients with preeclampsia

We sought to establish an association between preeclampsia and the methionine to threonine polymorphism at amino acid residue 235 (Met235Thr) in angiotensinogen in a Hispanic population. We looked for a relationship between this allele and the allele in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene (NOS3) that produces the A form (NOS3*A) with respect to preeclampsia.

Clinical data were collected from 87 patients with preeclampsia and 53 control subjects. Patients and controls were genotyped for the angiotensinogen polymorphism allele (AGT*T) and the NOS3*A polymorphism. We then compared patients with preeclampsia and control subjects and investigated disease severity within the preeclampsia group as a function of genotype.

The AGT*T allelic frequencies among patients with preeclampsia and control subjects were 0.72 and 0.70, respectively (P =.84). The blood pressure of patients with an AGT*T allele who also carried a NOS3*A allele was higher at earlier gestational ages (r = -0.052; P =.02). Analysis suggested that the systolic blood pressure differences were due to gestational age effects and the presence of a NOS3*A allele (P <.10).

The AGT*T allele was not associated with the development of preeclampsia. Independently of the presence of an AGT*T allele, the NOS3*A allele was associated with a higher blood pressure at an earlier gestational age.