醛固酮瘤（APA）的发病机制尚不完全清楚。已知醛固酮合酶基因(CYP11B2)和11-β羟化酶基因(CYP11B1)参与醛固酮合成调控。本项目组首次发现CYP11B1基因多态性与APA相关，并发现 CYP11B2/CYP11B1基因型和单体型与APA的发病风险和表型显著相关。但其影响APA发生的确切机制尚不清楚。在前期研究中，我们发现CYP11B2/CYP11B1基因多态性与Wnt信号通路重要的信号因子β-catenin的表达相关。我们推测，CYP11B2/CYP11B1基因多态性可能通过Wnt信号通路影响APA的发生。为验证这一假说，我们继续检测CYP11B2/CYP11B1基因的其它单核苷酸多态性（SNPs）；分析其与APA发病风险和表型相关联的特定单体型；采用分子克隆和转基因等技术，从Wnt信号通路入手阐明特定单体型影响APA发生的分子机制，为APA临床治疗提供新的线索和思路。

To date, the exact mechanisms of aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) have not been completely elucidated. CYP11B2 and CYP11B1 genes have been recognized to participate regulating the synthesis of aldosterone. We have firstly found that the polymorphisms of CYP11B1 gene are associated with APA and that the genotypes and haplotypes of CYP11B2/CYP11B1 are significantly associated with the risk and the phenotype of APA. However, the exact mechanism of the polymorphisms in CYP11B2/CYP11B1 on APA is not clear. In the previous study, we found that the polymorphisms in CYP11B2/CYP11B1 were associated with the expression of β-catenin, a key protein of Wnt signaling pathway. Therefore, we hypothesize that the polymorphisms in CYP11B2/CYP11B1 are possiblly affect the incidence of APA via the Wnt signaling pathway. In order to verify the hypothesis, we will go on detecting the other single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CYP11B2/CYP11B1 and trying to find the special haplotypes associated with the risk and phenotype of APA. We will start with Wnt pathway to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the special CYP11B2/CYP11B1 haplotypes on APA by use of the molecular cloning and transgenic techniques so as to provide some new idea for the treatment of APA.