Background: Thiazide diuretics are among the most commonly prescribed antihypertensives. However, <50% of thiazide-treated patients achieve blood pressure (BP) control. Herein, we used different omics (genomics and transcriptomics) to identify novel biomarkers of thiazide diuretics BP response.
Methods and results: Genome-wide analysis included 228 white hypertensives with BP determined at baseline and after 9 weeks of hydrochlorothiazide. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms with P <5×10-5 were prioritized according to their biological function, using RegulomeDB, haploreg, and Genome-Wide Annotation of Variants. The results from the prioritization approach revealed rs10995 as the most likely functional single-nucleotide polymorphism, among single-nucleotide polymorphisms tested, that has been associated with hydrochlorothiazide BP response. The rs10995 G-allele was associated with better BP response to hydrochlorothiazide versus noncarriers (Δ systolic BP/Δ diastolic BP: -12.3/-8.2 versus -6.8/-3.5 mm Hg, respectively, Δ systolic BP P=3×10-4, Δ diastolic BP P=5×10-5). This association was replicated in independent participants treated with chlorthalidone. In addition, rs10995 G-allele was associated with increased mRNA expression of VASP (vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein). Moreover, baseline expression of the VASP mRNA was significantly higher in 25 good responders to hydrochlorothiazide compared with 25 poor responders (P=0.01). This finding was replicated in independent participants treated with chlorthalidone (P=0.04). Last, allelic-specific expression analysis revealed a significant but modest imbalance with rs10995 and rs10156, a single-nucleotide polymorphism in high linkage disequilibrium (r2=0.7) with rs10995, which both could contribute to the observed genetic effects by affecting VASP mRNA expression.
Conclusions: This study highlights the strength of using different omics to identify novel biomarkers of drug response and suggests VASP as a potential determinant of thiazide diuretics BP response.
Clinical trial registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifiers: NCT00246519 and NCT01203852.
Keywords: blood pressure; genomics; hypertension; pharmacogenetics; transcriptome.
© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.