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Pediatrics

eNOS haplotype associated with hypertension in obese children and adolescents

International Journal of Obesity volume 35, pages 387–392 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 10 May 2011

Abstract

Objective:

The aim of our study is to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene (in the promoter region T−786C, in exon 7 (Glu298Asp) and in intron 4 (4b/4a)) or eNOS haplotypes are associated with hypertension in obese children and adolescents.

Methods:

We genotyped 175 healthy (controls), 110 normotensive obese and 73 hypertensive obese children and adolescents. Genotypes were determined by Taqman allele discrimination assay and real-time PCR, and by PCR followed by fragment separation by electrophoresis. We compared the distribution of eNOS genotypes, alleles and haplotypes in the three study groups of subjects. We have also measured whole-blood nitrite concentrations.

Results:

The 4a4a genotype for the intron 4 polymorphism was more common in normotensive obese and hypertensive obese (P<0.01). The AspAsp genotype for Glu298Asp polymorphism was less common in normotensive obese (P<0.02). No significant differences were found in allele distributions for the three eNOS polymorphisms. However, the haplotype combining the C, 4b and Glu variants for the three polymorphisms was more common in hypertensive obese than in normotensive obese or control children and adolescents (odds ratio=2.28 and 2.79, respectively; 95% confidence interval: 1.31–4.31 and 1.39–5.64, respectively; both P<0.00625). This haplotype was not associated with significantly different nitrite concentrations (P>0.05).

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest that the eNOS haplotype, C b Glu, is associated with hypertension in obese children and adolescents. Further studies examining the possible interactions of eNOS haplotypes with environmental factors and other genetic markers involved in the development of obesity and its complications are warranted.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP-Brazil) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq-Brazil).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    D C Souza-Costa

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    V A Belo & P S Silva

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    I F Metzger & J E Tanus-Santos

  4. Department of Physiology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    C M Lanna

  5. Embrapa Gado de Leite, Rua Eugênio do Nascimento, Dom Bosco, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    M A Machado

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  1. D C Souza-Costa
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Correspondence to J E Tanus-Santos.

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Souza-Costa, D., Belo, V., Silva, P. et al. eNOS haplotype associated with hypertension in obese children and adolescents. Int J Obes 35, 387–392 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.146

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