Prevalence of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ENOS) gene G894T polymorphism and its association with hypertension: a population-based study with Brazilian women.

INTRODUCTION

Hypertension is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world, accounting for millions of deaths each year. The reduction in the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) produced by the catalysis of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is associated with higher blood pressure (BP) levels. This reduction might be because of genetic polymorphisms. This study investigated the prevalence of the eNOS gene G894T polymorphism in women from northeast Brazil and its association with hypertension.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 810 women (aged 19-49 years). Sociodemographic, health, anthropometric, and BP data were collected. Hypertension was defined according to the following criteria: systolic BP ≥ 140 mm Hg, diastolic BP ≥ 90 mm Hg, the regular use of antihypertensive medication, or some combination thereof. Epithelial cells from the cheek mucosa were obtained for DNA extraction. Genotyping was performed via real-time PCR. The measure of association was the prevalence ratio (PR) and its 95% CI as calculated via Poisson regression.

RESULTS

The frequencies of the , , and genotypes were 57.1%, 35.7%, and 7.2%, respectively. For each of these genotypes, the prevalence of hypertension in women was 17.9%, 23.6%, and 34.4%, respectively. Relative to the genotype, the PRs after adjusting for cofounding factors were 1.24 (95% CI: 0.95-1.61, = 0.11) for and 1.76 (95% CI: 1.16-2.67, < 0.01) for .

CONCLUSIONS

The allele of the G894T polymorphisms is associated with hypertension in women. This may have implications for prevention and treatment.