ASSOCIATION OF RESTRICTION-FRAGMENT-LENGTH-POLYMORPHISM AT THE ATRIAL-NATRIURETIC-PEPTIDE GENE LOCUS WITH ALDOSTERONE RESPONSIVENESS TO ANGIOTENSIN IN ALDOSTERONE-PRODUCING ADENOMA

Primary aldosteronism is an important, potentially curable, form of hy pertension. We examined the possible association between restriction f ragment length polymorphisms in the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) g ene and responsiveness of aldosterone to angiotensin II in 59 patients with primary aldosteronism due to aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) . Significant differences in the allelic frequencies of the BglI, TaqI and XhoI polymorphic sites at the ANP gene locus (chromosome 1; 1p36) between angiotensin II-unresponsive and angiotensin II-responsive tum ors were observed. Variation in the ANP gene between the two groups ma y result in altered expression of ANP within the adrenal gland, and ma y contribute to the biochemical regulation of aldosterone production o f these two subgroups of patients with APA. (C) 1994 Academic Press, I nc..