The effects of β2 adrenoceptor gene polymorphisms on pressor response during laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation

Abstract

We investigated whether human β2 adrenoceptor (β2AR) gene polymorphisms are associated with the pressor response to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. Ninety-two patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia were enrolled into this study. Arterial systolic pressure, heart rate and rate pressure product were measured before induction of anaesthesia and 1 min following laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. Genomic DNA was then used to identify the β2AR-16 and β2AR-27 genes using an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction method. Using multiple linear regression models, controlling for age, sex, weight, baseline blood pressure, heart rate and rate pressure product, we found that patients who possessed the glutamic acid homozygote of β2AR-27 produced significantly greater changes in mean arterial pressure and rate pressure products than patients with the glutamine homozygote of β2AR-27 (β coefficient for mean blood pressure = 11.81, β coefficient for pulse-pressure product = 8.76, both p-values = 0.023). These findings suggest that genetic variability in the human β2AR gene polymorphisms may be associated with the pressor response to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation.