Genome-wide scan for hypertension linkage to chromosome 12q23.1-q23.3 in a Chinese family

Background & objectives: Essential hypertension is a multifactorial disorder with a complex phenotype. Here we report a susceptibility locus for the hypertension mapped by a genome-wide microsatellite scanning in an affected Chinese family, in which 11 members had hypertension before the age of 40. Methods: A total of 22 individuals from a single family from Shanghai, PR China, were genotyped on more than 400 microsatellite markers with a spacing gap of less than 10 cm for nearly the entire scanned genome. Results: Linkage analysis suggested that an affected disorder is linked to a locus in the chromosome interval 12q23.1 to 12q23.3; two-point parametric analysis showed a logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 2.97 for the marker D12S346 (12q23.1) and 1.40 for the marker D12S78 (12q23.3). Fine mapping and haplotype analysis subsequently confirmed that eight continuous markers (D12Sac023161, D12S1706, D12S346, D12S1588, D12S1607, D12Sac010202, D12S78, D12Sac084356) had positive LOD with a maximum two-point LOD score of 3.34 for the marker D12S1706 and a maximum multi-point LOD score was 2.4002 for D12Sac010202, their NPL scores were 10.9091 for D12S1706 and 10.9114 for D12Sac010202. Interpretation & conclusions: A novel locus for essential hypertension was identified on chromosome 12q23.1 - q23.3. This finding implies that the region 12q23.1 to 12q23.3 might encompass a susceptible gene that caused hypertension in this Chinese family.