beta(2)-Adrenoceptor gene polymorphisms and blood pressure variations in East Anglian Caucasians

Objective The amino-terminal polymorphisms, Arg16Gly and Gln27Glu, of the b eta(2)-adrenergic receptor (beta(2)AR) have been shown to affect regulation of the receptor expression by an agonist in cell culture studies. The Arg1 6Gly polymorphism has also been recently shown to be associated with essent ial hypertension. We therefore evaluated whether the amino-terminal polymor phisms of beta(2)AR are associated with hypertension in a Caucasian populat ion. Subjects and methods We performed an association study in 298 hypertensive patients and an equal number of age-matched normotensive controls from the East Anglian region, with blood pressure assessed categorically and quantit atively. We also examined the influence of the amino-terminal polymorphisms on blood pressure response to beta-blockade in 144 of the patients randoml y assigned to this class of drug. Genotyping of the Arg16Gly polymorphism w as undertaken by a newly designed mismatched polymerase chain reaction (PCR ) and digestion with Nde I, whereas the Gln27Glu polymorphism was genotyped by PCR followed by Fnu4H I cleavage. Results We found no differences in the genotype or allele frequencies of th e beta(2)AR polymorphisms between hypertensive and normotensive participant s. There was also no association between the beta(2)AR genotypes and variat ions in either basal blood pressure or the brood pressure response to a bet a-blocker. Conclusion These findings suggest that the aminoterminal polymorphisms of t he beta(2)AR gene are unlikely to constitute major susceptibility for essen tial hypertension in the East Anglian population. J Hypertens 2000, 18:687- 693 (C) Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.