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Cardiovascular diseases and G-protein β3 subunit gene (GNB3) in the era of genomewide scans

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 17, pages 379–380 (2003)Cite this article

The last 4 years were the era of genomewide scans in cardiovascular genetics. Since 1999, after publication of the first comprehensive genome linkage analysis of systolic blood pressure in humans,1 more than 20 genomewide searches for hypertension genes have been reported. The number of detected cardiovascular quantitative trait loci (QTLs) has increased rapidly, forming a new dense QTL-map within the human genome. At present, a QTL for blood pressure or hypertension exists almost on every human chromosome. However, most of the detected QTLs do not overlap, even within populations of the same ethnic origin. Much remains to be done in further dissection of these regions in order to identify new, consistent positional genetic candidates of human hypertension. The use of such identified positional markers is needed in association studies following genomewide searches and remains a promising strategy in cardiovascular genetics. However, most of the genes tested currently for association with essential hypertension and related phenotypes are not identified based on their positional relation to a detected QTL but on their pathophysiological potential to affect cardiovascular functions. Approximately 100 genes have been tested as candidates in association studies with cardiovascular traits including left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and essential hypertension.

The expression of genes encoding components of the renin–angiotensin system is upregulated in vascular and cardiac hypertrophy and remodelling. The ability of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to induce the regression of hypertensive LVH and prevent ventricular remodelling after myocardial infarction provides a clinical correlate to these observations. Thus, insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the ACE gene has been tested as a potential risk factor of hypertensive LVH in numerous studies, and the proportion of negative and positive results appears to be roughly equal.2 Studies on association between hypertensive LVH and polymorphisms within the genes encoding angiotensinogen and angiotensin II receptors have also provided conflicting results.2

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, BHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

    M Tomaszewski, F J Charchar, S Padmanabhan & A F Dominiczak

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Diabetology and Nephrology, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, Poland

    M Tomaszewski, E Zukowska-Szczechowska & W Grzeszczak

Authors
  1. M Tomaszewski
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  2. F J Charchar
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  3. S Padmanabhan
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  4. E Zukowska-Szczechowska
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  5. W Grzeszczak
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  6. A F Dominiczak
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Correspondence to M Tomaszewski.

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Tomaszewski, M., Charchar, F., Padmanabhan, S. et al. Cardiovascular diseases and G-protein β3 subunit gene (GNB3) in the era of genomewide scans. J Hum Hypertens 17, 379–380 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001559

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001559

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