• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 1995

A comparison was made regarding the extent of anger between 50 hypertensives and 50 normotensives, using anger scale. In addition, correlation was investigated between the extent of anger and biological variables such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein(HDL) and triglyceride in each of both the groups. The two groups were matched to each other regarding age, sex, the level of education and body mass index(BMI). The hypertensives scored significantly higher than normotensives in anger suppression, whereas normotensives scored significantly higher than hypertensives in anger expression. In hypertensives, scores of anger suppression and anger expression did not significantly correlate with blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, HDL and triglyceride, respectively. In normotensives, however, scores of anger suppression correlated positively with systolic blood pressure. Male hypertensives scored significantly higher than female hypertensives regarding anger expression, whereas male normotensives scored significantly higher than female normotensives regarding anger expression and anger total subscale, respectively. These results suggest that hypertensives suppressed more anger than normotensives, and that anger suppression in normotensives was more likely to increase blood pressure, supporting the previous reports that suppressed anger may be related to hypertension.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.950-961
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• 2008

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to compare cerebral biood flow between hypertensives and normotensives using transcranial doppler ultrasonography (TCD). Methods : I investigated cerebral blood flow of 72 hypertensives and 127 normotensives. To evaluate the cerebral blood flow, I measured the systolic peak velocity(Vs) and mean How velocity (Vm) of the middle cerebral artery(MCA), anterior cerebral artery(ACA), posterior cerebral artery(PCA), basilar artery(BA), and internal carotid artery(ICA) in the two groups using TCD. Result : 1. There was a decrease in the Vs and Vm of all examined vessels of hypertensives in comparison with normotensives. There was a significant difference in the Vs of ACA and Vm of ACA, PCA, ICA. 2. In males, there was a decrease in the Vs of ACA, PCA, ICA and Vm of MCA, ACA, PCA, ICA of hypertensives in comparison with normotensives. However, there was no significant difference in the Vs or Vm of all examined vessels. 3. In females, there was a decrease in the Vs and Vm of all examined vessels of hypertensives in comparison with normotensives. There was a significant difference in the Vs of MCA, ACA and BA and Vm of ACA, PCA and BA. 4. In 30-49 year-olds, there was a decrease in the Vs and Vm of all examined vessels of hypertensives in comparison with normotensives. There was a significant difference in the Vs of ACA and Vm of ACA. 5. In 50-69 year-olds, there was a decrease in the Vs of ACA, PCA, BA, ICA and Vm of all examined vessels of hypertensives in comparison with normotensives. However, there was no significant difference in the Vs or Vm of all examined vessels. 6. In 70-89 vests old. there was a decrease in the Vs. Vm of PCA, BA, ICA of hypertensives in comparison with normotensives. But, there was no significant difference in the Vs, Vm of all examined vessels. Conclusions : There was a significant difference in the cerebral blood now velocity between hypertensives and normotcnsives. These results suggest that blood pressure has influence on cerebral blood flow.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2005

Essential hypertension results from the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. A C825T polymorphism of the gene encoding G-protein ${\beta}3$ subunit (GNB3), associated with enhanced G-protein coupled signaling and increased $Na^+-H^+$ exchanger, has been implicated in the development of essential hypertension in several human populations, especially in Caucasian population. We examined the disease relevance of this candidate gene by performing an association study in a study group of Korean heritage. Participants comprised 109 essential hypertensives and 109 normotensives, respectively. Genotyping was performed with PCR-BsaJI restriction digestion method. Observed genotype frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in all groups. Genotype and allele frequencies did not differ significantly between normotensives and essential hypertensives (P>0.05). However, the serum total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly higher in subjects with the TT genotype compared to those with the CC or CT genotypes in normotensives of our study subjects (P<0.05). Thus, these results suggest that GNB3/C825T polymorphism might be significantly associated with abnormality in serum lipid metabolism.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.249-253
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• 2003

Abnormalities in fibrinolysis system is associated with risk of hypertension. In this report, the Alu repeat insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and the Hind III RFLP of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) genes were investigated in 115 normotensives and 83 patients with hypertension, and their association with anthropometrical data and plasma biochemical parameters were analyzed. There were no significant differences in the gene frequencies of the two candidate genes between normotensives and hypertensives, respectively. Our results indicate lack of associations between the two polymorph isms in t-PA and PAI-1 genes and risk of hypertension in the population under study. However, the Hind III RFLP of PAI-1 gene was significantly associated with plasma glucose level, suggesting its role in glucose metabolism. It needs to be tested whether this RFLP of PAI-1 gene is associated with insulin resistance syndrome or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in the Korean population.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.298-304
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• 2009

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the association of blood pressure levels with the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) and carotid plaques. Methods : Data were obtained from 2,635 subjects, aged 50 years and over, who participated in the Community Health Survey (a population-based, cross-sectional study) in Dong-gu, Gwangju city between 2007 and 2008. Participants were categorized into three groups according to blood pressure levels; normotensives (<120/80 mmHg), prehypertensives (120-139/80-89 mmHg), and hypertensives ($\geq$140/90 mmHg). Prehypertensives were further categorized as low prehypertensives (120-129/80-84 mmHg) and high prehypertensives (130-139/85-89 mmHg). Carotid intima-media thickness and plaques were evaluated with a high-resolution B-mode ultrasound. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square test, ANOVA, and multiple logistic regression. Results : Prehypertensives had significantly greater maximal CCA-IMT values than normotensives, with a multivariate adjusted odds ratio of 1.78 (95% CI=1.36-2.32) for abnormal CCA-IMT (maximal CCA-IMT$\geq$1.0 mm), and 1.45 (95% CI=1.19-1.77) for carotid plaques. The multivariate adjusted odds ratio of low prehypertensives was 1.64 (95% CI=1.21-2.21) for abnormal CCA-IMT, and 1.30 (95% CI=1.04-1.63) for carotid plaques compared with normotensives. Subject with hypertension had higher frequency of abnormal CCA-IMT (odds ratio, 2.18; 95% CI=1.49-3.18), and carotid plaques (odds ratio, 1.98; 95% CI=1.46-2.67) compared with normotensives after adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions : Our results indicate that there is a significant increase in the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with prehypertension (even in low prehypertensives) compared with normotensive subjects. Further studies are required to confirm the benefits and role of carotid ultrasonography in persons with prehypertension.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.69-74
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• 2006

Hypertension leads to major health problems in many industrialized countries, and multiple etiologic factors are involved in the pathogenesis of this disorder. The genetic components of the natriuretic peptide system might be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. In this regard, the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) gene has been proposed as a candidate hypertension gene. Therefore, we investigated the G1837A and C-664G polymorphisms of the ANP gene in 143 Korean normotensives and 118 hypertensives. There were no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies between the two groups. Although the frequencies in each of these polymorph isms were not significantly different between normotensives and hypertensives, our results provide additional ethnic information for linkage analysis and associated studies of this disorder with cardiovascular disease.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.72-76
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• 2001

Essential hypertension is a heterogeneously multifactorial disease in which blood pressure is harmfully high without overt cause. Both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in its etiology. In view of the regulatory role of this peptide in the carbohydrate metabolism and renin-angiotensin system, amylin gene has been proposed to a candidate gene for essential hypertension. Therefore, we scanned the amylin gene for mutations in 133 Korean normotensives and 61 essential hypertensives by single-strand conformational polymorphism, and found a single heterozygous S20G missense mutation. However, no significant difference was observed between normotensives and essential hypertensives in the distribution of allele and genotype frequencies of this mutation at the amylin gene (P>0.05). This finding suggests that S20G missense mutation of the amylin gene are unlikely to contribute to the etiology of essential hypertension in the Korean population.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.12-21
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• 2002

Genetic polymorphisms of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) have been associated with hypertension in various ethnic groups, but no relation between these polymorphisms and hypertension has yet been systematically evaluated. To assess the relationship between allelic variation of RAS genes and hypertension, we performed the case-control studies using genetic markers in Korean normotensives and hypertensives. The allele and genotype frequencies of RAS genes in Korean population were not significantly different between normotensives and hypertensives. To investigate the distribution of allele frequencies among various populations, the data obtained in this study were compared to those in other ethnic groups studied previously. Except for T174M polymorphism of angiotensinogen (AGT) gene, allele frequencies of RAS genes were different among racial groups. The reason for these differences may be due to the difference in various genetic or environmental background or due to the effects by various sample size studied. In addition, it can be emphasized that carefully designed studies are required to minimize the ethnic heterogeneity of the case and control populations.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.183-186
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• 2002

Hypertension is a multifactorial disease. Both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in its etiology. Since the impairment of nitric oxide (NOS) production plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) gene is supposed to be a candidate gene of hypertension. Our study group investigated the 27 bp insertion/deletion (Ins/Del) polymorphism of ecNOS gene in 99 Korean normotensives and 98 hypertensives, respectively. There was no significant association with any cardiovascular risk factors as well as hypertension in Koreans. The Ins/Del polymorphism of the ecNOS gene indicated the similar allele distribution among ethnic groups studied. Further studies using larger sample size and subject information is required to describe the general picture of the association between the ecNOS gene polymorphic loci and hypertension

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2004

The kallikrein-kinin system affects regulation of blood pressure, and genes encoding for the components of this system have been considered as good candidates for hypertension. To evaluate the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of candidate genes involved in this system and hypertension, we performed case-control studies using genetic markers in Korean normotensives and hypertensives, respectively. By association study, there was a marginal association with hypertension in AA genotype distribution of A1789G polymorphism in the hKLK1 gene (P=0.0754). Thus, this genetic polymorphism may weakly contribute to the susceptibility to hypertension in Koreans. We also observed that significant linkage disequilibrium exists among three polymorphic sites in the hKLK1 gene studied, suggesting that the three genetic polymorph isms can be useful as genetic markers in clinical association studies. Further studies using larger sample sizes and more genetic markers will be needed to clarify genetic influence of kallikrein-kinin system for hypertension.