Abstract: Objective To test the association of Pro12Ala polymorphism of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ gene in exon 2 with hypertension. Methods Five hundred and eighty-three hypertensive and 363 corresponding normal controls in Beijing Chinese Han population who came to hypertensive clinic for treatment or check-up from October 2003 to October 2005 in Xuanwu hospital were involved in the research. PCR-RFLP method was used to determine the distributions of A allele and PP, PA, AA genotype frequencies of Pro12Ala polymorphisms of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ gene in exon 2. Parameters that satisfied normal distribution were expressed as mean±standard deviation(SD), abnormal distribution data were expressed as median and quartile. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 11.5. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was performed using the χ² test. Student t-test, rank sum test were used to compare differences between genotype groups. Pearson's χ² test was used to compare the genotype prevalence between different groups. P values<0.05 were considered statistically significant. At the same time subjects were divided into different groups by gender and age for further analysis. The SBP, DBP, MAP level between different genotypes in different groups were also analyzed. Results Of the 946 Beijing Chinese Han subjects, Pro12Pro genotype was present in 90.91%(860 subjects) of the population, Pro12Ala genotype was present in 8.98%(85 subjects) of the population and for Ala12Ala genotype 0.01%(1 subject) of the population. Allele frequencies were 95.40% for Pro allele and 4.60% for Ala allele. In hypertensive group, the frequencies of PP, PA, AA genotype and A allele of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ gene were 533(91.42%), 49(8.40%), 1(0.18%) respectively. In control group, the frequencies of PP, PA, AA genotypes and A allele were 327(90.08%), 36(9.92%), 0(0.00%) respectively. Analyzed byχ² test, the distribution of PP, PA, AA genotype and A allele frequency were not different between hypertensive group and normal controls(P>0.05). There was no significant difference in SBP, DBP, MAP between PP and PA-AA genotypes. When the subjects were divided into two groups by genders, the distribution of PP, PA, AA genotypes and A allele was of no statistical difference. There was also no significant difference in SBP, DBP, MAP between PP and PA-AA genotypes in different genders. Analyzed by age, the subjects were divided into two groups(less than sixty, sixty and above), we compared the frequencies of PP, PA, AA genotypes and A allele between hypertensive and normal controls in different groups, no statistically difference had been found. At the same time, the SBP, DBP, MAP level between PP and PA-AA genotypes in different aged hypertensive and their corresponding normal controls did not reach significantly statistical difference. Conclusion The results suggest that Pro12Ala polymorphisms in peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ gene may not be associated with hypertension.

Key words: hypertension, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ gene, single nucleotide polymorphism