Role of nitric oxide synthases polymorphism in the development of comorbidity of bronchial asthma and hypertension

Present literature review highlights the current views on the role of genetic factors in the development of bronchial asthma and hypertension, indicates their role in the formation of comorbid pathology, draws attention to the role of nitric oxide and nitric oxide synthase genes in the pathogenesis. In recent years there has been increasing interest of researchers to the problem of comorbidity, in particular to a combination of asthma and hypertension. Genetic factors play a great role in pathogenesis of these diseases. Among genes that play role in development of asthma there are genes encoding antigen recognition factors and humoral immune response factors, genes encoding mediators of inflammation, chemokines and intercellular adhesion molecules, genes of receptors performing fixation of external ligand molecules on the target cell, genes of intracellular signaling molecules and transcription factors and a number of other genes. The pathogenesis of essential hypertension is associated with the genes of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and genes regulating endothelial status. The link between asthma and hypertension is nitric oxide, which is involved in many physiological processes, in particular, regulates vascular and respiratory tone. Polymorphism of nitric oxide synthases genes is able to violate its production in the organism and thus lead to the development of bronchial asthma and hypertension. Polymorphisms Glu298Asp, eNOS4a/b, and 786C/T of NOS3 gene are associated with development of hypertension. Polymorphisms of this gene had been studied in patients with bronchial asthma, and they have demonstrated their influence on the level of nitric oxide in patients. Thus, the NOS gene polymorphisms may participate in the formation of comorbidity of bronchial asthma and hypertension.