Evaluation of the relationship between T663A polymorphism in the alpha-epithelial sodium channel gene and essential hypertension

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between alpha epithelial sodium channel (alpha-ENaC) T663A polymorphism and the risk of essential hypertension. METHODS: This meta-analysis was conducted between November 2014 and February 2015 in Shanghai Medical Instrumentation College, Shanghai, China. We collected all published available case-control data (N=12) identified through PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) up to December 2014. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using the fixed- or random-effect model. RESULTS: Although subgroup analysis showed that alpha-ENaC T663A polymorphism was associated with essential hypertension in North American individuals (OR=1.55, 95% CI=1.22-1.98, p=0.0003), our meta-analysis results did not confirm such association overall (OR=1.03, 95% CI=0.92-1.15, p=0.62). The lack of association was further confirmed by the non-superiority test (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Alpha-ENaC T663A polymorphism might not be a risk factor for essential hypertension.