Angiotensinogen gene M235T and T174M polymorphisms in essential hypertension: relation with target organ damage

The molecular variants M235T and T174M of the angiotensinogen gene have been linked to essential hypertension in some populations, but there are discrepancies about this association in other studies. We studied 75 patients with essential hypertension (BP > 160/100 mm Hg) from our outpatient clinic, aged 55+/-1 years, 30 men, systolic BP 182+/-2.5, diastolic BP 109+/-1 mm Hg (mean +/- SEM), and a family history of the disease. Target organ damage was evaluated by measuring urinary albumin excretion rate, left ventricular hypertrophy, and fundoscopy. As a control group, 75 healthy subjects with BP < 130/85 mm Hg and with no family history of cardiovascular disease were selected. M235T and T174M angiotensinogen genotypes were determined by PCR and subsequent digestion of the products with SfaNI and NcoI, respectively. The frequency (q) of genotypes of the variant M235T in the patients with essential hypertension was MM 0.31, MT 0.41, and TT 0.28, not significantly different (P = .93) from that of the controls (MM 0.28, MT 0.44, and TT 0.28). For the variant T174M, the genotype frequencies in hypertensives were TT 0.83, TM 0.15, and MM 0.02, which was not significantly different (P = .89) from that of the controls (TT 0.86, TM 0.12, and MM 0.02). Similarly, there was no evidence for association between angiotensinogen genotypes and hypertension in subjects aged < or = 40 years old (n = 24) or with severe (stage III) hypertension (n = 31). Within the group of patients with essential hypertension, there were no differences in genotype distribution between patients with and without retinopathy (n = 31), left ventricular hypertrophy (n = 37), or microalbuminuria (n = 14). This study shows that M235T and T174M variants are not associated either with essential hypertension or with target organ damage in a Spanish sample.