Rapid Detection of the Hypertension-Associated A1166C Polymorphism of the Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor ( AGTR1 )

Screening for polymorphisms in the human type 1 angiotensin II receptor locus (AGTR1) has led to the identification of an A1166C transversion in the 3′-untranslated region. This molecular variant, C¹¹⁶⁶, has been linked to essential hypertension. We describe here a rapid method for the detection of this point mutation by a simple modification of PCR amplification with allele-specific oligonucleotides (ASO), so as to avoid a hybridization procedure involving either radioactive- or non-radioactive-labeled probes, labeled primers, or restriction typing. The procedure described is convenient for routine clinical laboratory use with manual sample processing and offers the potential for further automation, as well.