Association of Several Lipid-Related Gene Polymorphisms and Blood Pressure Variation in the Bai Ku Yao Population

BACKGROUND Sex differences in hypertension are not well known. The present study was undertaken to detect the association of nine lipid-related gene polymorphisms and blood pressure variation beween men and women in the Bai Ku Yao population. METHODS Genotyping of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA-1) V825I, acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) rs1044925, low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) Avall, hepatic lipase gene (LIPC) similar to 250G>A, endothelial lipase gene (LIPG) 584C>T, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C>T, proprotein convertase subtilisin-like kexin type 9 (PCSK9) E670G, peroxisonne proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARD) + 294T>C, and Scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SCARB1) rs5888 was performed in 682 normotensives and 670 hypertensives. RESULTS The genotypic frequencies of LDL-R and SCARB1 in normotensives and ABCA-1, ACAT-1, LDL-R, LIPC, and MTHFR in hypertensives were different between males and females (P < 0.05-0.001).The genotypic frequencies of ABCA-1, ACAT-1, LDL-R, LIPC, MTHFR, PPARD, and SCARB1 in males and ABCA-1, LDL-R, LIPC, LIPG, and MTHFR in females were different between normotensives and hypertensives (P < 0.05-0.001). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels in male hypertensives were different among the LIPC, LIPG, PCSK9, and SCARB1 genotypes (P < 0.05-0.01); and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) levels were different among the ABCA-1, LDL-R, LIPC, LIPG, MTHFR, PCSK9, and PPARD genotypes (P < 0.05-0.001). SBP levels in female hypertensives were different among the LIPC, MTHFR, PCSK9, and PPARD genotypes (P < 0.05-0.01); and DBP levels were different among ABCA-1, ACAT-1, MTHFR, PCSK9, PPARD, and SCARB1 genotypes (P < 0.05-0.001). The correlations between these polymorphisms and blood pressure levels were also observed. CONCLUSIONS Sex differences in blood pressure levels in this population may partly attribute to the differences in some lipid-related gene polymorphisms.