Association of GNB3 C825T polymorphism with plasma electrolyte balance and susceptibility to hypertension

The role of G-protein activation in cardiovascular disorders is well-known. G-protein β3 subunit (GNB3) C825T polymorphism is associated with increased intracellular signal transduction. We investigated the role of the variant in plasma sodium and potassium concentrations and association with hypertension. 345 healthy controls and 455 patients with essential hypertension were enrolled. Plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentration were measured. The variant, typed by SNaPshot, was analyzed on an ABI Prism 3100 Genetic Analyzer and GeneScan. The TT genotype and T allele were over-represented in the patients (p < 0.001, p < 0.0001). Multiple-logistic regression disclosed that the risk of hypertension was significantly greater for TT (p < 0.0001, OR = 6.1, CI = 2.9-12.7). One-way ANOVA revealed that hypertensive T-allele carriers (CT+TT), compared to non-carriers (CC), had a greater body mass index (BMI), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and PAC (p = 0.01, p = 0.01, p < 0.0001, respectively); while the patients with 825TT risk genotype showed higher plasma sodium and lower potassium (p < 0.0001, each). The results strongly emphasize, not only the role of C825T polymorphism by the induction of increased G-protein activity and enhancement of Na/h exchangers, but also the association with higher plasma sodium and lower potassium levels, high BMI and susceptibility to hypertension.