Angiotensinogen gene M235T variant and pre-eclampsia in Romanian pregnant women.

Background: Association between the human angiotensinogen gene and essential hypertension has been confirmed in recent studies. Pre-eclampsia is a complication of pregnancy characterised by increased vascular resistance, high blood pressure, proteinuria and oedema, that appears in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. The aim of our study was the analysis of M235T mutation in the gene encoding angiotensinogen in Romanian women with different forms of hypertension during pregnancy.

Methods: Fourteen women with obstetric complications were tested for M235T angiotensinogen gene mutation. Indications for testing were: severe or mild pre-eclampsia and pre-eclampsia associated with chronic hypertension. We also tested for control 6 healthy women. The M235T angiotensinogen gene mutation was analysed by polymerase chain reaction followed by enzymatic digestion with Tth 111I restriction endonuclease enzyme and agarose gel electrophoresis of the products.

Results: Eleven (78.57%) of the 14 women with complications of pregnancy had M235T mutation: 9 (64.28%) were found to be heterozygous carriers of the M235T variant of the angiotensinogen gene and 2 (14.28%) were found to be homozygous carriers. In the group of women with normal pregnancy, 3 (50%) of the 6 women had M235T mutation: 2 (33.33%) were found to be heterozygous carriers of the M235T variant of the angiotensinogen gene and 1 (16.66%) was found to be homozygous carrier.

Conclusions: Our study shows that the M235T variant in the gene encoding angiotensinogen could be a risk factor in mild and severe pre-eclampsia.