Aldosterone synthase -344C/T and angiotensin-converting enzyme I/D polymorphisms in Turkish hypertensive patients with normal coronary arteries.

BACKGROUND

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays an important role in blood pressure regulation, left ventricular and vascular structure. Some hypertensive patients develop left ventricular dilatation and heart failure symptoms while others are relatively less affected. The purpose of our study was to determine whether two major polymorphisms of RAAS are associated with echocardiographic left ventricular mass, function and dilatation in hypertensive patients with normal coronary arteries.

METHODS

A Turkish population of 88 patients with hypertension and normal coronary arteries were studied by echocardiography for left ventricular dimension, mass and function. Genotyping was performed for aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) -344C/T polymorphism in 85, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) I/D polymorphism in 88 patients. Left ventricular dimensions, mass and function indices, after adjustment for clinical covariates, were analysed by multiple regression according to genotypes.

RESULTS

None of the two genotypes studied predicted left ventricular dilatation, mass or function in hypertensive patients with normal coronary arteries.

CONCLUSION

Neither ACE I/D nor CYP11B2 -344C/T polymorphisms were useful to predict left ventricular mass, function or dilatation in our hypertensive patients with normal coronary arteries.