BACKGROUND The angiotensinogen gene has been linked to the development of essential hypertension, and a M235T variant of this gene, associated with increased plasma levels of angiotensinogen, is more common in hypertensives than in normotensive controls in various populations. The present study was conducted to examine whether the M235T variant of the angiotensinogen gene may be a risk factor for the development of hypertension in patients undergoing renal transplantation. METHODS DNA for genetic analysis was prospectively collected from 269 consecutive patients undergoing kidney transplantation between 1988 and 1993 and their corresponding donors. Presence of hypertension and graft survival was analysed by blinded review of all case records over a follow-up period up to 30 months. Angiotensinogen genotype was determined by a mutagenically separated allele-specific polymerase-chain-reaction technique. RESULTS While post-transplant hypertension was present in 78% of all patients, no relationship was found between either donor or recipient genotype and the presence or severity of post-transplant hypertension. Furthermore, there was no relationship between angio-tensinogen genotype and graft survival during the course of the study. CONCLUSIONS These findings do not support the hypothesis that the M235T variant of the angiotensinogen gene is a risk factor for the development of post-transplant hypertension.