Essential hypertension (EH) is a common disease with a clear genetic component. Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction play a prominent role in the development of persistent blood pressure elevation. The aim of the current study was to detect an association between EH and polymorphic markers in genes encoding for molecules involved in the control of intercellular interactions during the inflammation process. We analysed SNPs in SELE, SELP, SELL, ICAM1, VEGFA, IL1B, IL6, IL10 and IL12B genes in a group of 534 men of Tatar ethnicity (217 patients with EH and 317 controls). Using a Markov chain Monte-Carlo-based approach (APSampler), we found genotype and allelic combinations associated with EH. The most significant associations were observed for SELE rs2076059*C-SELP rs6131*A-VEGFA -2549*I-IL1B rs16944*C (p = 3.42 × 10(-5), FDR q = 0.035) and SELE rs2076059*C-SELP rs6131*A-IL12B rs3212227*C-IL1B rs16944*C (p = 323 × 10(-4), FDR q = 0.035).
Keywords: Adhesion molecules; Tatars; cytokines; essential hypertension; genetic polymorphism; selectins.