Research Article

Correlation between natriuretic peptide receptor C (NPR3) gene polymorphisms and hypertension in the Dai people of China

Published: August 03, 2015
Genet. Mol. Res. 14 (3) : 8786-8795 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4238/2015.August.3.2
Cite this Article:
H. Sun, Z.Q. Yang, S.Y. Liu, L. Yu, K. Huang, K.Q. Lin, J.Y. Chu, X.Q. Huang (2015). Correlation between natriuretic peptide receptor C (NPR3) gene polymorphisms and hypertension in the Dai people of China. Genet. Mol. Res. 14(3): 8786-8795. https://doi.org/10.4238/2015.August.3.2
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Abstract

Hypertension affects one-fifth of the world population. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that correlated with hyper­tension in large samples. However, the genetic mutations leading to hypertension might differ among various populations, as they have dif­ferent origins and are subjected to different environmental pressures. Therefore, additional studies are urgently needed to verify the GWAS findings across different populations. This study focused on the natri­uretic peptide receptor C gene (NPR3), one of the hypertension-positive genes identified in a GWAS of an East Asian population. The correla­tion analysis between NPR3 and hypertension was replicated in 450 Chinese Dai (235 patients vs 215 controls) and 484 Chinese Mongolian (211 patients vs 273 controls) individuals. The positive SNP identified by GWAS analysis and three other tag SNPs representing the NPR3 linkage disequilibrium (LD) block regions were selected for genotyp­ing. The results revealed that the rs1173766 polymorphism was associ­ated with the occurrence of hypertension (χ2 = 6.87, P = 0.0088), and that the T allele should be protective in the Dai ethnic group. Consider­ing a close LD block at the 3' end of the NPR3 gene in the East Asian population, we speculate that there might be a mutation in the last five exons or the 3' untranslated region of NPR3 that could change the struc­ture or expression of the NPR3 gene. However, in the Mongolian ethnic group, these SNPs were not associated with the incidence of hyperten­sion, suggesting population heterogeneity for the genetic factors that contribute to hypertension.

Hypertension affects one-fifth of the world population. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that correlated with hyper­tension in large samples. However, the genetic mutations leading to hypertension might differ among various populations, as they have dif­ferent origins and are subjected to different environmental pressures. Therefore, additional studies are urgently needed to verify the GWAS findings across different populations. This study focused on the natri­uretic peptide receptor C gene (NPR3), one of the hypertension-positive genes identified in a GWAS of an East Asian population. The correla­tion analysis between NPR3 and hypertension was replicated in 450 Chinese Dai (235 patients vs 215 controls) and 484 Chinese Mongolian (211 patients vs 273 controls) individuals. The positive SNP identified by GWAS analysis and three other tag SNPs representing the NPR3 linkage disequilibrium (LD) block regions were selected for genotyp­ing. The results revealed that the rs1173766 polymorphism was associ­ated with the occurrence of hypertension (χ2 = 6.87, P = 0.0088), and that the T allele should be protective in the Dai ethnic group. Consider­ing a close LD block at the 3' end of the NPR3 gene in the East Asian population, we speculate that there might be a mutation in the last five exons or the 3' untranslated region of NPR3 that could change the struc­ture or expression of the NPR3 gene. However, in the Mongolian ethnic group, these SNPs were not associated with the incidence of hyperten­sion, suggesting population heterogeneity for the genetic factors that contribute to hypertension.