Linkage of Gordon's syndrome to the long arm of chromosome 17 in a region recently linked to familial essential hypertension.

Gordon's syndrome (GS) is a salt-sensitive, hyperkalaemic, familial hypertension syndrome which may masquerade in milder forms as essential hypertension. The response of hyperakalaemia to dietary salt restriction and to mineralocorticoids is heterogeneous, suggesting genetic heterogeneity. In a recently published study using small pedigrees, possible linkage of GS to chromosomes 1 and 17 was described. Studying the largest pedigree so far reported with GS, and using fluorescent-labelled microsatellite markers, we sought evidence of linkage to chromosomes 1 and 17. In this family there was no segregation of GS with any of the markers for chromosome 1. On chromosome 17, however, evidence of linkage was found with a maximum multipoint LOD score of 2.4 (the maximum LOD possible from the pedigree) over markers D17S250 and D17S934. This represents strong evidence in this pedigree for a responsible gene mutation on the long arm of chromosome 17. Recent reports of linkage for essential hypertension and, especially, familial essential hypertension within the same area of chromosome 17 containing the D17S934 marker raise the possibility that the same gene may be responsible for familial essential hypertension and for Gordon's syndrome.