OBJECTIVETo assess the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of leptin receptor (LEPR) gene with essential hypertension (EH) and body mass index (BMI) among ethnic Mongolian and Han Chinese from Inner Mongolia region.

METHODSIn total 411 Han Chinese patients with EH and 480 healthy controls, together with 658 Mongolian patients with EH and 403 healthy controls, were collected. The SNPs of the LEPR gene were determined with ligase detection reaction (LDR). Logistic regression was used to analyze the association of the polymorphisms of each locus with EH and BMI. MDR software was used to analyze the interaction between above loci and environmental factors.

RESULTSGenotypic frequencies of LEPR gene rs7555955, rs1137100 and rs1137101 loci had differed significantly among ethnic Hans with EH and the control group (All P<0.05). While those of rs7555955, rs1805094, rs1137100, rs11579567, rs1805134 and rs6669354 loci had differed significantly among ethnic Mongolians with EH and the control group (All P<0.05). After adjustment for confounders, logistic regression analysis indicated that age (OR=2.97, 95%CI:1.94-3.99), BMI (OR=3.93, 95%CI:2.91-5.96), and rs1137101 (AA) (OR=3.96, 95%CI:1.32-11.90) were independent risk factors for EH among ethnic Hans, while age (OR=2.99, 95%CI:2.98-4.57), BMI (OR=3.03, 95%CI:1.05-1.27), rs7555955 (AG, AA) (OR=12.12, 95%CI:2.80-52.43; OR=6.35, 95%CI:1.44-27.94), and rs7555955 (GG) were independent risk factors for EH among ethnic Mongolians (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAge and BMI are independent risk factors for EH in both ethnic Han and Mongolian Chinese. rs1137101 locus is associated with EH among ethnic Hans, while rs7555955 locus is associated with EH among ethnic Mongolians.