OBJECTIVETo assess the association of polymorphisms of G protein-coupled inwardly-rectifying potassium channels 4 (GIRK4) gene with essential hypertension in ethnic Uygurs from southern Xinjiang.

METHODSA total of 1194 (461 males and 733 females) Uygur residents aged 30 to 70 and with a body mass index (BMI) over 18.5 kg/m(2) were selected from Hetian region. All of the subjects have received questionnaire survey, physical examination, biochemical analysis and blood pressure measurement. They were divided into hypertensive group and normotensive group. Genotyping by the TaqMan polymerase chain reaction method was performed for 4 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs4937391, rs2604204, rs6590357 and rs1122149), and a case-control study was carried out.

RESULTSGenotype distributions of rs4937391, rs2604204, rs6590357 and rs1122149 in both groups were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P> 0.05). The average systolic blood pressure of CC genotype of rs11221497 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)[(132.69± 26.9) mmHg)] was higher than the CG genotype [(127.4± 22.7) mmHg] and GG genotype [(121.1± 26.3) mmHg]. There has a significantly difference in average systolic and diastolic blood pressures between CC and GG genotypes (P< 0.05). A case-control association analysis revealed that the rs11221497 SNP was in association with essential hypertension with the dominant model [P< 0.05, OR= 0.67 (0.49-0.93)]. Haplotype analysis indicated that H6(C-G-C-G) was significantly more common in normotensive group than hypertensive group (P= 0.001).

CONCLUSIONThe rs11221497 SNP of the GIRK4 gene is associated with essential hypertension in ethnic Uygur population in Xinjiang.