LIPIDS’ METABOLISM AND ANGIOTENSINOGEN GENE (AGT, RS699) POLYMORPHISM ASSOCIATION IN PATIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Objective: The study purpose was to analyze the association of angiotensinogen AGT (rs699) gene polymorphism with lipids` metabolism in patients with essential arterial hypertension (EAH). Design and method: The study involved 72 patients suffering from EAH with target-organ damaging, moderate, high or very high cardiovascular risk. Among them, 70.84% (51) women and 29.16% (21) men, mean age 59.87 ± 7,98 y o. The control group involved 50 practically healthy persons, matched by age and sex distribution. To examine polymorphism of AGT (rs699) gene a qualitative polymerase chain reaction was made in real-time regimen. The state of lipids` metabolism was studied by means of determination of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TGs) content in the blood plasma using diagnostic standard sets produced by „ACCENT-200” firm (Poland). Results: The genotypes distribution of the AGT (rs699) gene in patients vs control group did not differ reliably and was as follows: TT- genotype - 13.89% vs 16.67%, TC- genotype - 59.72% vs 54.17% and CC-genotype - 26.39% vs 29.17%, that was corresponded to the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (p > 0.05). Mean values of TC were higher than that of the normal ones practically in all the groups. The highest parameters were found among TC-genotype carriers, especially among men – 6,14 ± 0,34 mmol/l in the control group and 5,79 ± 0,14 mmol/l in the group of patients with EAH, though there was no reliable difference found between the groups. The level of TGs was higher among T-allele (especially TC-genotype) carriers in comparison with the control group by 50% among men (p = 0,03) and by 25,6% among women. The HDL-C levels were higher than threshold among men-carriers of TT-genotype in both groups, while the carriers of C-allele (especially CC-genotype) had 26,4% (p = 0,01) and 40,2% (p = 0,03) higher values in comparison with TT-genotype carriers. The LDL-C levels were the highest among TC-genotype carriers, but in comparison with other genotype carriers there was no reliable difference found. Conclusions: Thus, T-allele of AGT (rs699) gene is associated with a lower HDL-C level in men and a higher level of TGs in women.