Objective: The genetic background of hypertensive crisis is unknown. We examined the association of polymorphisms in genes involved in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system with hypertensive crisis.
Design: Population-based case-control study.
Setting: Emergency department at a tertiary care university hospital.
Patients: A total of 182 patients with essential hypertension who were admitted to an emergency department for treatment of hypertensive crisis and 182 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals.
Interventions: None.
Measurements: Analysis of polymorphisms in genes coding for angiotensinogen (AJT 704T-->C), angiotensin II receptor 1 (AGTR1 1166A-->C), renin (REN 2646G-->A), renin-binding protein (RENBP 61T-->C), alpha-adducin (ADD1 1378G-->T), beta-2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2 46A-->G, 79C-->G), and angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE I/D) was performed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. MAIN RESULTS Among patients, the ACE I/D polymorphism showed a deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p =.01). In controls, all polymorphisms were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequency of the DD genotype was increased in patients (n = 70, 38.5%) vs. controls (n = 51; 28.0%;p =.03; odds ratio, 1.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.50), which was due to the DD genotype in 40 male patients (44%) vs. 23 in male controls (25.3%;p =.004; odds ratio, 3.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.47-8.30). There were no differences in genotype distributions among other polymorphisms.
Conclusion: We demonstrate a possible association of the DD genotype with hypertensive crisis in men.