LAUSR

Objectives: This study aims to explore the relationship between polymorphism of the arginine vasopressin (AVP) gene and plasma copeptin concentration with the occurrence of hypertension in pregnancy. Methods: We conducted a matched nested case–control study in Chinese women. The genotypes of rs3729965, rs3761249, rs1410713, rs2740204, and rs2282018 loci of AVP gene and plasma copeptin at 16–20 gestational weeks were detected in 288 patients with gestational hypertension (GH), 82 with preeclampsia (PE), and 14 with chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia (CH-PE) and their healthy matched controls. Results: For every natural logarithm unit increment in copeptin, the risks of GH and PE/CH-PE increased by 5.556 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 6.556, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.734–15.717) and 3.312 times (aOR: 4.312, 95% CI: 1.168–15.914). Under the dominant model, the genotype CC + CT of rs2282018 and GG + GT of rs3761249 had higher risks of GH than genotype TT, with aORs of 1.757 (95% CI: 1.077–2.867) and 1.814 (95% CI: 1.111–2.963). Allele A of rs3729965 loci had a lower risk of PE/CH-PE than allele G (aOR: 0.441, 95% CI: 0.199–0.978). However, the frequencies of rs1410713 and rs2740204 genotypes were not significantly different between cases and controls. The model of copeptin combined with the AVP gene and traditional factors (TFs) had a higher ability than the TFs model in predicting GH and PE/CH-PE. Conclusion: Our study confirms that higher plasma copeptin and AVP gene variants are associated with the occurrence of GH and PE/CH-PE. The detection of copeptin and AVP gene in the early second trimester improves the predictive ability of TFs for GH and PE/CH-PE.