Abstract

45% of hypertensive children referred to our clinic are white coat hypertensives (WCH) and they are offspring of hypertensive parents. The aim of this study was to evaluate blood pressure and heart rate at the office and by ambulatory monitoring (ABPM) and gene variants associated with hypertension in 44 adolescents with WCH (13.5± 2 years old, 19 m, BMI 26.7± 6.3 kg/m2) and compare them to 50 normotensive offspring of hypertensive parents (N) matched for age, height and sex (13.5± 2 y.o., 21 m, BMI 25.5± 5 kg/m2) and 54 essential hypertensives (EH) (12.7±3.1 y.o., 5 m, BMI 23± 5 kg/m2). In a subgroup of 36 N, 15 WCH and 19 EH polimorphic variants M235T and T174M of the angiotensinogen gene (AGT), and I/D polimorfism of ACE gene were evaluated by PCR, RFLP or ASO.

At the office WCH had significantly higher heart rate than EH (91± 13 beats/min and 83± 11, p=0.002). By ABPM, blood pressure and heart rate were similar in WCH and N. Homozygotes TT for the M235T variant of AGT were more prevalent in WCH than in N (Fisher p<0.05, OR 5.25). No associations were found for the other gene variants studied.

In conclusion, 1) HR at the office could be a marker of WCH. 2) 235T polimorphism of AGT is associated to WCH, similar to the findings in hypertensives.

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