American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 153, No. 6 : 537-545
Copyright © 2001 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS |
Relation of Alleles of the Sodium-Potassium Adenosine Triphosphatase 
2 Gene with Blood Pressure and Lead Exposure
1 Department of Neurology, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.
2 Department of Epidemiology, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
3 Division of Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
4 Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
5 Division of Toxicological Sciences, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Lead is associated with elevated blood pressure, although the mechanism of action is unknown. Genetic differences in sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na+-K+ATPase) could explain some of the variation in the strength of the blood pressure-blood lead relation that has been observed in previous studies. In 1996–1997, the authors studied the association of blood pressure, hypertension prevalence, and polymorphisms in the gene for the 
2 subunit of Na+-K+ATPase (ATP1A2) among 220 former organolead manufacturing workers from New Jersey. Subjects were genotyped for a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) on the ATP1A2 gene. The association between blood lead and blood pressure was stronger among persons who were homozygous for the variant allele. Genotype was also associated with hypertension (adjusted odds ratio = 7.7; 95% confidence interval: 1.9, 31.4). Finally, the variant allele was 1.8 times more common among African Americans than among Caucasians. The RFLP may indicate susceptibility to the effect of lead on blood pressure. Moreover, the 2 gene (or a closely linked gene) may contribute to the pathophysiology of hypertension. However, because the number of subjects (especially African Americans) with the susceptible genotype in this study was small, these observations should be considered preliminary.
blood pressure; genetic predisposition to disease; genetics; lead; Na(+)-K(+)-exchanging ATPase
Abbreviations:
ATP1A2, gene for the 2 subunit of sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase; Na+-K+ ATPase, sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase; RFLP, restriction fragment length polymorphism; SD, standard deviation
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