Association of HLA-DRB1 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms with Left Ventricular Remodelling in Elderly Patients with Essential Hypertension

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between human leucocyte antigen DRβ1 (HLA-DRB1) gene polymorphisms and cardiovascular remodelling (left ventricular dilatation [LVD]) in Han Chinese patients ≥ 60 years old, with essential hypertension. METHODS: LVD was diagnosed via echocardiographic measurements. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction was used to determine the genotypes of three HLA-DRB1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs2308765, rs9269186 and rs3135388). RESULTS: HLADRB1 rs2308765 wild-type (G) allele and genotype (GG) were associated with decreased risk of LVD. HLA-DRB1 rs9269186 and rs3135388 were not associated with LVD risk. Mean waist and abdominal circumferences were significantly larger in patients with, compared with those without, LVD. Multivariate logistic regression analyses found that rs2308765 was associated with LVD (GT + TT versus GG; odds ratio 7.958; 95% confidence interval 1.935, 32.723). CONCLUSIONS: Mutation in HLA-DRB1 rs2308765 was associated with increased risk of LVD in elderly patients with hypertension. Genotype analysis may allow identification of patients at high risk of cardiovascular events such LVD.