Aldosterone synthase alleles and cardiovascular phenotype in young adults

The C( 344)T promoter polymorphism of the humanaldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene has been asso-ciated with hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy, butthere were contrasting data. We analysed the genotype/phenotype associations between this polymorphismand cardiovascular variables in a young adult popula-tion, where interactions among genes, gene–environ-ment, and acquired ageing-related organ damage arereduced. Anthropometric measurements, blood pres-sure, heart rate, left ventricular variables (by echocar-diography), and carotid artery wall intimal–mediathickness (by high-resolution sonography and digita-lized morphometry) were taken in 420 white Caucasianstudents (mean age 23.5 years, s.d. 2.5 years). CYP11B2alleles were detected by genomic polymerase chainreaction followed by digestion. Taking into account thethree possible models of inheritance, we found nodifferences in the considered variables, except for anindependent effect of the C( 344) allele on SBP in males(TT 125.6 (1.6), TC 128.4 (1.2) and CC 130.5 (2.2), mmHg,media (ES), P¼0.03), and on interventricular septumthickness in diastole in females (CC 6.98 (0.12) vs TT6.87 (0.09) and TC 6.87 (0.07), mmHg, Po0.01), in thecodominant model. In conclusion, the CYP11B2C( 344)T polymorphism appears to have a slight rolein the cardiovascular phenotype of young healthyadults, even if these genotype/phenotype relationshipsmight change with ageing.Journal of Human Hypertension (2003) 17, 859–864.doi:10.1038/sj.jhh.1001619Keywords: young; aldosterone synthase; alleles; blood pressure; cardiac hypertrophy