APOE Genetic Polymorphism rs7412 T/T Genotype May Be a Risk Factor for Essential Hypertension among Hakka People in Southern China

OBJECTIVE: One of the causes of hypertension is a genetic factor. The purpose of this study was to look at the relationship between apolipoprotein E (APOE) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms and essential hypertension in the Hakka population. METHODS: The study included 2,850 patients with hypertension and 2,034 controls. APOE rs429358, rs7412, and MTHFR rs1801133 were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-microarray. The differences in these polymorphisms between the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: The genotype and allele frequency of APOE and MTHFR polymorphisms did not differ significantly between hypertensive patients and controls. Patients with hypertension who were APOE rs429358C/C homozygous had higher TG, TC, LDL-C, and Apo-B levels, whereas patients with the T/T genotype had higher HDL-C levels. Patients with hypertension who were APOE rs7412T/T homozygous had higher TG and TC levels and lower LDL-C and Apo-B levels. Homocysteine (Hcy) levels in patients with MTHFR CC, CT, and TT genotypes were increased, while patients with the TT genotype and T allele had higher Hcy levels than those of patients with other genotypes and the C allele. The APOE rs7412T/T genotype in the co-dominant model (APOE rs7412T/T vs. C/C) (gender-, age-, smoking-, and drinking-adjusted OR 2.682, 95% CI, 1.072–6.710, P=0.035) was a significant risk factor for hypertension. The APOE rs429358 and MTHFR rs1801133 genotypes in co-dominant, dominant, and recessive models were not significant risk factors for hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: It supports that APOE polymorphisms are related to hypertension in the Hakka population. Specifically, the APOE rs7412T/T genotype may be a risk factor for hypertension.