Genetic variation in angiotensin II type 2 receptor gene influences extent of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy independent of blood pressure

INTRODUCTION: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), an inherited primary cardiac disorder mostly caused by defective sarcomeric proteins, serves as a model to investigate left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). HCM manifests extreme variability in the degree and distribution of LVH, even in patients with the same causal mutation. Genes coding for renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system components have been studied as hypertrophy modifiers in HCM, with emphasis on the angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 receptor (AT(1)R). However, Ang II binding to Ang II type 2 receptors (AT(2)R) also has hypertrophy-modulating effects. METHODS: We investigated the effect of the functional +1675 G/A polymorphism (rs1403543) and additional single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 3' untranslated region of the AT(2)R gene (AGTR2) on a heritable composite hypertrophy score in an HCM family cohort in which HCM founder mutations segregate. RESULTS: We find significant association between rs1403543 and hypertrophy, with each A allele decreasing the average wall thickness by ~0.5 mm, independent of the effects of the primary HCM causal mutation, blood pressure and other hypertrophy covariates (p = 0.020). CONCLUSION: This study therefore confirms a hypertrophy-modulating effect for AT(2)R also in HCM and implies that +1675 G/A could potentially be used in a panel of markers that profile a genetic predisposition to LVH in HCM.