Exploration of CYP21A2 and CYP17A1 polymorphisms and preeclampsia risk among Chinese Han population: a large-scale case-control study based on 5021 subjects

BACKGROUND: Several genome-wide association studies have identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), such as rs4409766, rs1004467, and rs3824755 in CYP17A1 and rs2021783 in CYP21A2, as new hypertension susceptibility genetic variants in the Chinese population. This study aimed to look into the relationship between preeclampsia (PE) and these SNPs in Chinese Han women. METHODS: Overall, 5021 unrelated pregnant women were recruited, including 2002 patients with PE and 3019 normal healthy controls. The real-time PCR (TaqMan) method was applied to genotype these four polymorphisms. RESULTS: A statistically obvious difference in the allelic frequencies was observed in CYP21A2 rs2021783 between cases and controls (χ(2) = 7.201, Pc = 0.028 by allele), and the T allele was associated with the occurrence and development of PE (OR = 1.151, 95% CI 1.039–1.275). We also found a significant association between rs2021783 and the development of early-onset PE (Pc = 0.008 by genotype, Pc = 0.004 by allele). For rs1004467 and rs3824755, the distribution of allelic frequencies differed markedly between mild PE and control groups (χ(2) = 6.843, Pc = 0.036; χ(2) = 6.869, Pc = 0.036), and patients with the TT genotype of rs1004467 were less easy to develop mild PE than were those carrying the CT or CC genotype (χ(2) = 7.002, Pc = 0.032, OR = 1.306, 95% CI 1.071–1.593). The GG genotype of rs3824755 appeared to a protective effect on the occurrence of mild PE (OR = 0.766, 95% CI 0.629–0.934). CONCLUSIONS: CYP21A2 rs2021783 appears to be closely related to PE susceptibility, and CYP17A1 rs1004467 and rs3824755 seem to be closely associated with mild PE in Han women.