Variant angina is not associated with angiotensin I converting enzyme gene polymorphism but rather with smoking.
BACKGROUND
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) perhaps plays roles in regulating coronary vasomotor tone by producing angiotensin II and degrading bradykinin.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to investigate the role of ACE gene polymorphism in the pathogenesis of variant angina and to compare it with that of other clinical risk factors for male patients with variant angina and age-matched and sex-matched control subjects.


METHODS
We studied 78 male patients with variant angina who exhibited spontaneous or provoked coronary spasms during coronary angiography and compared prevalences of ACE gene genotype (deletion D and insertion I) and other risk factors between this group of patients with variant angina and age-matched and sex-matched control subjects whose angiograms were normal and in whom the ergonovine test did not cause spasms (n = 80).


RESULTS
Smokers were more prevalent in the group of patients with variant angina (P < 0.05). Genotype and allele prevalences of the group of patients with variant angina (0.14, 0.53 and 0.33 for DD, DI and II and 0.41 and 0.59 for D and I, respectively) were no different from those of the control group (0.16, 0.49 and 0.35 for DD, DI and II and 0.40 and 0.60 for D and I). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that smoking was a significant risk factor for variant angina (odds ratio 2.61, 95% confidence interval 1.03-6.66) whereas ACE genotype was not.


CONCLUSIONS
Variant angina is associated with an environmental factor, such as smoking, rather than a genetic factor, such as ACE gene polymorphism.
Kim
H S
HS
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, South Korea. hyosoo@plaza.snu.ac.kr
Lee
M M
MM
Oh
B H
BH
Song
J M
JM
Park
S K
SK
Yoo
K Y
KY
Park
Y B
YB
Choi
Y S
YS
Lee
Y W
YW
D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000788:Angina Pectoris, Variant / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*
D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A