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Evidence for linkage and association of the markers near the LPL gene with hypertension in Chinese families

Essential hypertension (EH) is the most common risk factor for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and renal diseases. It is a complex trait that is heritable and involves multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) and environmental conditions affecting the underlying physiological mechanisms.1 Genetic linkage studies and genome wide scans have disclosed many possible candidate loci contributing to hypertension.

Hypertension has been found to occur more often than expected in families with familial hyperlipidaemia. Because dyslipidaemia is a common finding in hypertensive patients, the lipoprotein lipase ( LPL ) gene is a logical candidate gene that could contribute to the development of hypertension.2 LPL is a crucial enzyme in plasma lipoprotein metabolism, which hydrolyses triglycerides and chylomicrons. Two genetic linkage studies of hypertension in Taiwan suggested some positive linkage signals in or near the LPL gene region with blood pressure (BP).3,4 Because most Taiwanese have consanguinity with Chinese Han people, it is feasible and rational to verify these results in another homogeneous group.

Adducin is a membrane skeletal protein that is involved in the regulation of cellular signal transduction and membrane ion transport. Hypertension has also been linked to the α-adducin ( ADD1 ) gene in some human studies.5–7

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