Functional polymorphisms in the MED13L and SLC4A7 genes are associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), including gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia (PE), might share pathophysiologic mechanisms and genetic risk factors with hypertension. This study aimed to investigate whether genetic risk factors for hypertension also been associated with PIH. Methods: This is a case control candidate gene association study. A total of 84 cases with GH, 108 cases with PE, and 192 age-matched (±1 year) controls were recruited from the Liuyang Municipal Hospital of Maternal and Child Health, Hunan Province of China. Three candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which have been found to be associated with hypertension or blood pressure (BP) were chosen. The associations between SNPs and GH and PE were analyzed by multiple logistic regression models after adjusting for fetal sex and primipara. Results: GG genotype at mediator complex subunit 13-like (MED13L) rs11067763 was a protective factor for developing GH (GG vs. AA + AG, OR = 0.376, 95%CI = 0.158-0.892) and PE (GG vs. AA + AG, OR = 0.489, 95%CI = 0.245-0.979) in recessive model. AA genotype at solute carrier family 4 member 7 (SLC4A7) rs820430 was a risk factor for developing GH (AA vs. GG + AG, OR = 3.562, 95%CI = 1.343-9.447) and PE (AA vs. GG + AG, OR = 3.351, 95%CI = 1.352-8.303) in recessive model. But no significant association was observed between cytochrome P450 family 21 subfamily A member 2 (CYP21A2) rs2021783 and the GH/PE groups. Conclusions: PIH and hypertension are likely to share genetic risk factors. The associations both between variants of MED13L rs11067763 and GH/PE and between variants of SLC4A7 rs820430 and GH/PE were significant.