A case-control study between the STIM1 gene and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) is a common disease and is believed to be a multifactorial genetic disease. Stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) was previously reported to regulate the concentration of Ca2+ and vascular contraction. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between HDP and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or haplotypes in the human STIM1 gene via case-control studies. On the basis of a database on the National Center of Biotechnology Information website, we selected five SNPs in the human STIM1 gene and performed an association study with 139 HDP patients and 162 age-matched non-HDP subjects. There were significant differences between the HDP and control groups in the genotypes (P = 0.041) and recessive models (P = 0.045) for rs7945554, and between the gestational hypertension and control groups in the dominant models (P = 0.015) and alleles (P = 0.043) for rs10458894. The haplotypes of A-T-G-G, A-C-A-G, A-T-A-G, G-T-G-C, A-TG-C and G-C-A-C (rs7945554-rs10458894-rs7929653-rs2923956) were significantly different from those of the control group. In the logistic regression analysis, the AA genotype of rs7945554 was significantly more predominant in the HDP group than in the control group. We found HDP-sensitive SNPs and haplotypes, and the STIM1 gene was identified as a possible susceptibility gene for HDP. By providing guidance to patients with genetic factors for HDP, we may be able to help them avoid environmental factors that could increase the risk of HDP before or during pregnancy and thus prevent or delay the onset of the disease.