Angiotensin II type 1 receptor A1166C gene polymorphism and essential hypertension in Calabar and Uyo cities, Nigeria

OBJECTIVES: The angiotensin II protein is a vasoconstrictor that exerts most of its influence through the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT(1)R). Inconsistent association between the A1166C polymorphism of the AT(1)R gene and hypertension has been reported among various populations but not among the peoples of Calabar and Uyo. This study was designed to determine the frequency of the A1166C polymorphism of the AT(1)R gene and its association with hypertension in a sample population of Calabar and Uyo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based case control design consisting of total of 1224 participants, 612 each of patients and controls were randomly recruited from hypertension clinics and the general population. Genotyping of the A1166C allele of the AT(1)R gene to identify variants was performed using polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme digestion. Multiple regressions were applied to test whether the A1166 genotypes were predictors of hypertension. RESULTS: 99% of the study population had the wild type AA genotype, and 1% was AC heterozygous carriers of the A1166C polymorphism. CONCLUSION: The A1166C polymorphism was not a predictor of hypertension in the sample population of Calabar and Uyo.