Background

Genetic determinants of BP response to potassium, or potassium sensitivity, are largely unknown. We conducted a genome-wide linkage scan and positional candidate gene analysis to identify genetic determinants of potassium sensitivity.

Methods and Results

1,906 Han Chinese participants took part in a 7-day high-sodium followed by a 7-day high-sodium plus potassium dietary intervention. BP measurements were obtained at baseline and following each intervention using a random-zero sphygmomanometer. Significant linkage signals (LOD>3) for BP responses to potassium were detected at chromosomal regions 3q24-q26.1, 3q28, and 11q22.3-q24.3. Maximum multipoint LOD scores of 3.09 at 3q25.2 and 3.41 at 11q23.3 were observed for absolute DBP and MAP responses, respectively. Linkage peaks of 3.56 at 3q25.1 and 3.01 at 11q23.3 for percent DBP response and 3.22 at 3q25.2, 3.01 at 3q28, and 4.48 at 11q23.3 for percent MAP response were also identified. AGTR1 SNP rs16860760 in the 3q24-q26.1 region was significantly associated with absolute and percent systolic (SBP) responses to potassium (p-values=0.0008 and 0.0006, respectively). Absolute SBP responses (95% CI) for genotypes C/C, C/T, and T/T were: −3.71 (−4.02, −3.40), −2.62 (−3.38, −1.85), and 1.03 (−3.73, 5.79) mmHg, respectively; and percent responses (95% CI) were: −3.07 (−3.33, −2.80), −2.07 (−2.74, −1.41), and 0.90 (−3.20, 4.99), respectively. Similar trends were observed for DBP and MAP responses.

Conclusions

Genetic regions on chromosomes 3 and 11 may harbor important susceptibility loci for potassium sensitivity. Furthermore, the AGTR1 gene was a significant predictor of BP responses to potassium intake.

Clinical Trial Registration Information

http://clinicaltrials.gov; Identifier: NCT00721721

Stature (adult body height), and body mass index (BMI) have a strong genetic component explaining observed variation in human populations, however, identifying those genetic components has been extremely challenging. It seems obvious that sample size is a critical determinant for successful identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) that underlie the genetic architecture of these polygenic traits. The inherent shared environment and known genetic relationships in family studies provide clear advantages for gene mapping over studies utilizing unrelated individuals. To these ends, we combined the genotype and phenotype data from four previously performed family-based genome-wide screens resulting in a sample of 9.371 individuals from 3.032 African-American and European-American families and performed variance-components linkage analyses for stature and BMI. To our knowledge, this study represents the single largest family-based genome-wide linkage scan published for stature and BMI to date. This large study sample allowed us to pursue population-and sex-specific analyses as well. For stature we found evidence for linkage in previously reported loci on 11q23, 12q12, 15q25 and 18q23 as well as 15q26 and 19q13 which have not been linked to stature previously. For BMI we found evidence for two loci: one on 7q35 and another on 11q22 both of which have been previously linked to BMI in multiple populations. Our results show both the benefit of 1) combining data to maximize the sample size and 2) minimizing heterogeneity by analyzing subgroups where within-group variation can be reduced and suggest that the latter may be a more successful approach in genetic mapping.

Stature (adult body height) and body mass index (BMI) have a strong genetic component explaining observed variation in human populations; however, identifying those genetic components has been extremely challenging. It seems obvious that sample size is a critical determinant for successful identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) that underlie the genetic architecture of these polygenic traits. The inherent shared environment and known genetic relationships in family studies provide clear advantages for gene mapping over studies utilizing unrelated individuals. To these ends, we combined the genotype and phenotype data from four previously performed family-based genome-wide screens resulting in a sample of 9.371 individuals from 3.032 African-American and European-American families and performed variance-components linkage analyses for stature and BMI. To our knowledge, this study represents the single largest family-based genome-wide linkage scan published for stature and BMI to date. This large study sample allowed us to pursue population- and sex-specific analyses as well. For stature, we found evidence for linkage in previously reported loci on 11q23, 12q12, 15q25 and 18q23, as well as 15q26 and 19q13, which have not been linked to stature previously. For BMI, we found evidence for two loci: one on 7q35 and another on 11q22, both of which have been previously linked to BMI in multiple populations. Our results show both the benefit of (1) combining data to maximize the sample size and (2) minimizing heterogeneity by analyzing subgroups where within-group variation can be reduced and suggest that the latter may be a more successful approach in genetic mapping.

Essential hypertension is a principal cardiovascular risk factor whose origin remains unknown. Classical genetic studies have shown that blood pressure is at least partially heritable, opening a window to understanding the pathophysiology of essential hypertension in the human using modern genetic tools. The Welcome Trust Case Control Consortium has recently published the results of screening the genomes of 2,000 essential hypertension cases and 3,000 controls using 500,000 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms. None of the variants proved to be genome-wide significant after correction for multiple tests but the most significantly associated SNPs (P<10-5) constitute a priority list that warrant follow-up in other studies. We describe here replication studies of the top 6 SNPs in subjects from the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute funded Family Blood Pressure Program comprising 11,433 individuals recruited by hypertensive families. The results suggest that only one of the 6 SNPs might be associated with essential hypertension in Americans of European origin. This SNP shows a significant but opposite effect in Americans of Hispanic origin and no association in African-Americans. The significance of the opposing effect estimates is unclear. No replication could be shown for hypertension status, but there are differences in study design. This attempted replication highlights that essential hypertension studies will require more comprehensive and larger genetic screens.