-374 T/A polymorphism in RAGE gene is associated with onset of diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, and renal dysfunction in patients with hypertension.

Receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is reportedly linked with chronic inflammatory diseases due to aging or diabetes. The aim of this study was to show how -374 T/A RAGE has an impact on systemic vascular damage and renal function. The study subjects were a total of 468 essential hypertension patients from the Non-Invasive Atherosclerotic Evaluation in Hypertension (NOAH) study cohort. We prospectively examined the association of -374 T/A RAGE with their prognoses and investigated the correlation between -374 T/A RAGE and multiple clinical parameters. Kaplan-Meier analysis did not show a significant association of -374 T/A RAGE with total mortality or the prevalence of cardiovascular events. Carriers of the A allele showed a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) than subjects without this allele. In subjects with DM, carriers of the A allele showed a significantly lower eGFR. These significant correlations were only seen in male subjects. Carriers of the A allele of -374 T/A RAGE show an independent risk of atherosclerosis and reduced renal function in male hypertensive patients with DM.