Trends of LSS rs2254524, LSS rs2254522, and NEDD4L rs4149601 Genetic Variants of Hypertension Among Obese Adolescents
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Polymorphisms in genes regulating renal sodium handling, such as lanosterol synthase (LSS) and neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated 4-like (NEDD4L), as well as the urinary sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio have been proposed as determinants of blood pressure among obese adolescents, but evidence on gene-environment interactions remains limited. This study was conducted to examine associations between LSS (rs2254524) and NEDD4L (rs4149601) polymorphisms and the urinary Na/K ratio and hypertension in obese adolescents.
METHODS: This cross-sectional comparative study enrolled 202 obese adolescents (101 hypertensive, 101 normotensive) aged 15–18 years old. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by Sanger sequencing. An ion-selective electrode was used to measure the spot urinary sodium and potassium for the calculation of Na/K ratio. Associations of the gene polymorphism and urinary sodium and potassium interaction were then statistically analyzed.
RESULTS: Male gender, body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were significantly higher in the hypertensive group (all p<0.0001). Though hypertension was numerically more common among obese adolescents carrying LSS variants (rs2254524, rs2254522) and NEDD4L variant (rs4149601), neither LSS (A>C, A>G) nor NEDD4L genotypes were significantly associated with hypertension in bivariate analyses (all p>0.05). The urinary Na/K ratio did not differ between groups (p=0.889).
CONCLUSION: Genetic variants of LSS rs2254524, LSS rs2254522, and NEDD4L rs4149601 are showing trends of hypertension among obese adolescents in this study. Greater adiposity and male gender, by contrast, were significantly associated with hypertension and remained the dominant correlates of blood pressure.
KEYWORDS: LSS, NEDD4L, polymorphism, sodium-potassium ratio, hypertension, obesity, adolescent, gene-environment interaction
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18585/inabj.v18i5.4322
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