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

Background. Bradykinin is thought to have protective effects on the progres sion of renal failure. Of particular interest, it has been reported that on e polymorphism in the promoter region of the human kinin B1-receptor gene w hich is associated with higher activity, is less frequently found in patien ts with end-stage renal failure. The present study was performed to indepen dently confirm these results. Design. Crossectional study on 376 healthy controls, 262 non-diabetic dialy sis patients and 175 patients with type 1 diabetes greater than or equal to 10 years and microalbuminuria (of whom 21 were dialysis-dependent) and 334 patients with type 2 diabetes greater than or equal to 10 years and nephro pathy (of whom 61 were dialysis-dependent). Methods. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction, followed by restriction enzyme analysis. Results. 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 differenc e in C-allele frequency was observed between controls and patients with typ e 1 diabetes and microalbuminuria (0.092) or patients with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy (0.099). Conclusion. In large cohorts of patients with nondiabetic end-stage renal d isease 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 wa s found.