Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity (Apr 2024)

No Association Between AGT Gene Polymorphisms with Hypertension in a South African Population

  • Sharma JR,
  • Fokkens H,
  • Laubscher R,
  • Apalata TR,
  • Nomatshila SC,
  • Alomatu SY,
  • Strijdom H,
  • Johnson R

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 17
pp. 1853 – 1865

Abstract

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Jyoti Rajan Sharma,1,* Hannah Fokkens,1,2,* Ria Laubscher,3 Teke Ruffin Apalata,4 Sibusiso Cyprian Nomatshila,5 Samuel Yao Alomatu,6 Hans Strijdom,2 Rabia Johnson1,2 1Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; 2Centre for Cardiometabolic Research in Africa, Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; 3Biostatistics Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; 4Department of Laboratory-Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University and National Health Laboratory Services, Mthatha, South Africa; 5Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa; 6Department of Internal Medicine, Nelson Mandela Central Hospital and Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Rabia Johnson, Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa, Email [email protected]: Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a prevalence increasing at an alarming rate in both middle- and low-income countries. Various environmental and genetic factors have been attributed to play a significant role in the increasing prevalence of hypertension. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene are reported to have a significant association with hypertension; however, there are limited studies done on South African populations. Therefore, this case–control study aimed to investigate the association between AGT SNPs (rs2004776, rs3789678, rs5051 and rs7079) with hypertension in a study population of isiXhosa-speaking participants from the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa.Materials and Methods: The SNPs were genotyped in 250 hypertensive cases and 237 normotensive controls, using TaqMan genotyping assays.Results: For the SNP rs2004776, the frequency of CC genotype (18.4%) and C allele (44%) in hypertensive cases showed no significant differences (p = 0.52, χ 2 = 1.32), when compared to the normotensive control group (CC: 19.8% and C allele: 43%). Similar results were obtained for the genotypic and allelic frequencies between hypertensive cases and normotensive controls for rs3789678 (p = 0.88, χ 2=0.26) and rs5051 (p = 0.57, χ 2=1.12), and rs7079 (p = 0.33, χ 2=2.23). These findings demonstrate that there were no significant associations between the SNPs rs2004776, rs3789678, rs7079, rs5051 with hypertension in our study population.Conclusion: These findings suggest that AGT gene polymorphisms are not associated with the development of hypertension in the studied population. The present study represents the first genetic report to investigate the AGT gene polymorphisms with hypertension in an isiXhosa-speaking South African population.Keywords: hypertension, gene, ACE, AGT, polymorphism

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