Objective:To comparatively study distributional characteristics of gene ploymorphism of N5

10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR) between Hui and Han nationalities in Ningxia and the relationship between the polymorphism and essential hypertension.Methods:The study was performed in 146 Hui patients and 155 Han patients with essential hypertensive(EH) and was performed in 112 Hui peoples and 140 Han peoples with normal tensive(NT).MTHFR gene polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP).Results:The frequencies of TT genotype and T allele in Hui patients with hypertension were of no difference with those in Han patients(P>0.05).There were also no significant differences between Hui NT group and Han NT group(P>0.05).The frequencies of 677TT genotype and T allele in Hui patients with EH were higher than those of Hui NT group(P<0.05).The frequencies of CT+TT genotype and T allele in Han patients with EH were both higher than those of control(P<0.05).Binary stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that TT genetype(OR=2.34

95%CI 1.363～4.016

P=0.002) was independent risk factor for essential hypertension.Conclusion:There does not exist racial difference between Hui and Han nationalities with MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism.The polymorphism has a correlation with EH between Hui and Han nationalities in Ningxia.T allele maybe a susceptible gene for EH in Ningxia people.