A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Examining the effect of mitochondrial DNA variants on blood pressure in two Finnish cohorts




AuthorsLaaksonen Jaakko, Mishra Pashupati P., Seppälä Ilkka, Lyytikäinen Leo-Pekka, Raitoharju Emma, Mononen Nina, Lepistö Maija, Almusa Henrikki, Ellonen Pekka, Hutri-Kähönen Nina, Juonala Markus, Raitakari Olli, Kähönen Mika, Salonen Jukka T., Lehtimäki Terho

PublisherNature Research

Publication year2021

JournalScientific Reports

Journal name in sourceScientific Reports

Volume11

Issue1

Number of pages8

ISSN2045-2322

eISSN1546-1718

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-79931-6

Web address https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-79931-6

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/53083152


Abstract

High blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for many noncommunicable diseases. The effect of mitochondrial DNA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (mtSNPs) on BP is less known than that of nuclear SNPs. We investigated the mitochondrial genetic determinants of systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial BP. MtSNPs were determined from peripheral blood by sequencing or with genome-wide association study SNP arrays in two independent Finnish cohorts, the Young Finns Study and the Finnish Cardiovascular Study, respectively. In total, over 4200 individuals were included. The effects of individual common mtSNPs, with an additional focus on sex-specificity, and aggregates of rare mtSNPs grouped by mitochondrial genes were evaluated by meta-analysis of linear regression and a sequence kernel association test, respectively. We accounted for the predicted pathogenicity of the rare variants within protein-encoding and the tRNA regions. In the meta-analysis of 87 common mtSNPs, we did not observe significant associations with any of the BP traits. Sex-specific and rare-variant analyses did not pinpoint any significant associations either. Our results are in agreement with several previous studies suggesting that mtDNA variation does not have a significant role in the regulation of BP. Future studies might need to reconsider the mechanisms thought to link mtDNA with hypertension.


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Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 13:14