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HEREDITAS(Beijing) ›› 2014, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (12): 1195-1203.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1005.2014.1195

• Reviews • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The evolutionary study of susceptibility genes for essential hypertension

Lindan Ji1, 2, Haixia Qian3, Jin Xu2, 3   

  1. 1. Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China;
    2. State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China;
    3. Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
  • Received:2014-08-20 Online:2014-12-20 Published:2014-12-20

Abstract:

Genetic studies, including familial linkage analysis, candidate gene approach and genome-wide association study, to some extent, have failed in detecting confirmative susceptibility genes/loci for essential hypertension (EH) in the general population. Previous genetic studies have suggested that differential susceptibility to many metabolic diseases is due to different environmental adaptation patterns during the out-of-Africa expansion, which provides a new strategy for the genetic study of EH. In this review, we introduce the principle and the latest progress of evolutionary study of susceptibility genes for EH. Furthermore, our recent evolutionary screening for EH susceptible genes/loci in Chinese Han population is also summarized. This review is expected to provide useful information for future genetic studies of EH and many other diseases.

Key words: essential hypertension, genetic susceptibility, evolution, adaptation