ABSTRACT
Allelic variations affecting the activity of the maternal renin-angiotensin system may play a role in the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy like preeclampsia, its more severe early-onset form, and intrauterine growth restriction. We examined the association of common allelic variants of angiotensin II type 1 and type 2 receptor genes (AT1R and AT2R) sorted in five AT1R/AT2R receptor combination genotype groups with susceptibility to early-onset preeclampsia (EOP). The occurrence of AT1R (A1166C) and A2TR (C3123A) alleles in wild type (AA, CC), heterozygous (A/C, C/A), and homozygous (C/C, A/A) states was recorded in 84 women with a history of EOP and 84 age-matched controls sorted in five AT1R/AT2R receptor combination genotype (wild type: AA/CC, one mutant: AA/CA, AC/CC, two mutant: AC/CA, AA/AA, CC/CC, three mutants: AC/AA, CC/CA and four mutant: CC/AA) groups, by polymerase chain reaction-RFLP analysis. Three mutant receptor combination genotype carriers were more common in women with a history of EOP than in controls (26.18% vs. 4.76%, p = 0.003, OR = 8.25). Receptor combination genotyping may be of clinical value in: (a) maternal prediction of susceptibility to EOP, (b) disease subtyping for directed studies with receptor signaling antagonists, (c) the broader study of hypertension.
