ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The associations between angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism and essential hypertension or ischemic stroke are still controversial. The aims of this study were to observe the associations of the angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism with hypertension or ischemic stroke, and to elucidate whether angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism was related to ischemic stroke itself or to hypertension. METHODS: We analyzed a particular polymorphysm in exon 2 of the angiotensinogen gene, a threonine to methionine substitution at position 235 (M235T), by a polymerase chain reaction in sixty patients with symptomatic ischemic stroke, one hundred patients with hypertension, and one hundredcontrol subjects without cardiovascular risks. Cardioembolic stroke was excluded. RESULTS: The three groups differed with respect to age and sex, but not total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, or body mass index. However, the distribution of angiotensinogen M235T genotypes was not different among the ischemic stroke group, hypertensive group, and control subjects. The TT genotype of angiotensinogen M235T was not significantly associated with ischemic stroke or hypertension (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.44 to 2.41, adjusted OR = 0.74, 95% CI=0.41 to 1.33, respectively), adjusting for age and sex. CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant associations between the angiotensinogen 235T alleles and hypertension or ischemic stroke in the Korean population. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(1):24~28, 2001