Association of 344/T/C Aldosterone Synthase Polymorphism (CYP11B2) with Left Ventricular Structure and Humoral Parameters in Young Normotensive Men

Background: Aldosterone plays an important role in development of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis. We assessed the influence of the T‐344C polymorphism of aldosterone synthase – the rate‐limiting enzyme in aldosterone biosynthesis – on the structure of the left ventricle in young normotensive men. Design and methods: The population included 113 normotensive mid‐European Caucasian men aged 18–40 years (mean 27 ± 5 years). The genotype was assessed using polymerase chain reaction with subsequent cleavage with restriction enzyme HAEIII (restriction fragment length polymorphism method) and visualization with ethidium bromide. Plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma aldosterone were measured. All subjects were examined by echocardiography and LV mass was assessed by using M‐mode based ASE formula. Results: The distribution of the genotypes was TT 23%:TC 55%:CC 22%. There were no differences in blood pressure among the groups. Men with the TT genotype had significantly higher levels of ...