Does endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene variation play a role in the occurrence of hypertension in pregnancy?

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Nitric oxide is suggested to play a role in the development of preeclampsia.

METHODS:

We studied 61 patients with gestational hypertension (GH), 77 with GH and significant proteinuria (urine protein excretion > or = 300 mg/24 h), 82 with essential hypertension (EH) and 188 normotensive women with at least one normal pregnancy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):

A polymorphism within the constitutive endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) gene in various types of hypertension in pregnancy was explored.

RESULTS:

Allelic and genotypic frequencies did not differ between controls and case groups. A significant difference was observed between the frequency of the rare allele in GH patients and that in EH group (chi2: 4.47, P <.04). This difference approximated the significance when GH subjects with or without proteinuria were grouped (chi2 square: 3.33; P =.068). Cigarette smoking or gravidity did not interact with the ecNOS polymorphism in identifying different types of hypertension in this setting.

CONCLUSION:

Our findings argue against an association between ecNOS polymorphism and preeclampsia and support the hypothesis for a different pathogenesis of GH in respect to EH.

• Authors: Elvira Grandone, Donatella Colaizzo, Pasquale Martinelli, Giuseppe Pavone, Massimo Errico, Gennaro Vecchione, Maurizio Margaglione
• Journal: Hypertension in pregnancy (Hypertens Pregnancy) Vol. 22 Issue 2 Pg. 149-55 ( 2003) ISSN: 1064-1955 [Print] England
• PMID: 12908999 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Nitric Oxide Synthase

Topics

• Adult
• Alleles
• Analysis of Variance
• Base Sequence
• Case-Control Studies
• Confidence Intervals
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Gene Frequency
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease
• Genotype
• Humans
• Hypertension (epidemiology, genetics)
• Incidence
• Logistic Models
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Nitric Oxide Synthase (genetics)
• Odds Ratio
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Polymorphism, Genetic
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular (diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Pregnancy Outcome
• Risk Assessment