Associations among NPPA gene polymorphisms, serum ANP levels, and hypertension in the Chinese Han population

The natriuretic peptide system plays an important role in regulation of blood pressure. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively examine the associations among NPPA gene SNPs, serum atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels, and hypertension. In 736 new-onset hypertensive cases and 736 age- and sex-matched controls, we measured concentrations of serum NT-proANP and genotyped 3 tag-SNPs in NPPA. Serum ANP levels were significantly lower in hypertensive patients than in controls (Wilcoxon two sample test P = 0.011). The difference was also significant in male (P = 0.0161) and female subgroups (P = 0.0011). Compared with the reference group, participants with the highest quartile of ANP levels had a significant decreased risk of hypertension (odds ratio = 0.56, P = 0.0006). The nonsynonymous SNP rs5063 (p.Val32Met) seemed to be associated with ANP levels (P = 0.0209). eQTL analysis found that rs198358 was associated with NPPA gene expression in testis (1.66 x 10(-9)) and whole blood (4.58 x 10(-52)). The findings suggested that a common NPPA SNPs rs5063 was associated with serum ANP levels and ANP was prospectively associated with hypertension in the Chinese Han population.