Correlation between aldosterone synthase gene -344C/T polymorphism and early renal damage in Han population with essential hypertension

Objective To investigate the distribution of aldosterone synthase gene -344C/T polymorphism in patients with essential hypertension in Chinese Han population, and the association with hypertensive early renal damage. Methods Four hundred and eighteen essential hypertension cases in Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital from January 2012 to January 2015 were included in this study. According to urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, 182 cases were selected as hypertensive early renal damage group (RD group) and 236 essential hypertension without renal damage group (NRD group). Fast venous blood was collected to detect aldosterone synthase gene -344C/T polymorphism and blood lipids, blood glucose, aldosterone and other indicators. Results There were significant differences in genotype frequency and allele frequency distribution between RD group and NRD group (P＜0.05). The TT genotype and the T allele frequency in RD group were higher than those in NRD group (P＜0.05). The level of aldosterone in TT genotype was higher than that in CC and CT genotype (P＜0.05). The aldosterone synthase gene -344C/T polymorphism was not correlated with early renal damage in hypertension after correction of blood pressure (P＞0.05). Conclusions Aldosterone synthase gene -344C/T polymorphism is associated with hypertensive early renal damage. T allele is inclined to hypertensive early renal damage. Aldosterone synthase gene -344C/T polymorphism induces renal damage through elevated blood pressure.