Jv. Gainer et al., Altered frequency of a promoter polymorphism of the kinin B-2 receptor gene in hypertensive African-Americans, AM J HYPERT, 13(12), 2000, pp. 1268-1273
Components of the kallikrein kinin system have been associated with the pat
hophysiology of hypertension in animal and human studies. In this study, we
examined the distribution of four different polymorphisms of the kinin B-1
and B-2 receptor genes in a population of 120 normotensive and 77 hyperten
sive African-Americans. Allelic frequencies for three of the four polymorph
isms were significantly different from those previously reported in Caucasi
an populations. Among the polymorphisms analyzed a potentially functionally
significant polymorphism in the core promoter of the kinin B-2 receptor (C
-58-->T transition) displayed an increased prevalence of the C-58 allele in
the hypertensive patients as compared with the controls (0.75 v 0.65 P =.0
09). Thus, this B-2 receptor promoter polymorphism may represent a suscepti
bility marker for essential hypertension in African-Americans. Am J Hyperte
ns 2000;13:1268-1273 (C) 2000 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.