Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion-deletion polymorphism in normotensive and pre-eclamptic pregnancies.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the hypothesis that pre-eclampsia is associated with a common insertion-deletion polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene.


METHODS
Seventy-two women with pre-eclampsia and 83 normotensive pregnant women participated in the study. Pre-eclampsia was defined as a blood pressure exceeding 140/90 mm Hg in a previously normotensive woman, associated with proteinuria in excess of 300 mg/l in a 24 h collection. Samples for fetal genotyping were available from 66 pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia and 79 normotensive pregnancies.


METHODS
Maternal and fetal samples were genotyped at the insertion-deletion (I-D) polymorphism in intron 16 of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene by the polymerase chain reaction followed by agarose electrophoresis.


RESULTS
Neither the I-D genotype distributions nor the allele frequencies differed significantly between pre-eclamptic and normotensive pregnancies in maternal or fetal samples (phi2 <0.3, not significant). The odds ratio for pre-eclampsia in women with the DD genotype, compared with the ID and II genotype, was 1.09 (95% confidence interval 0.55-2.16). The odds ratio associated with the DD genotype in the fetus was 1.14 (0.56-2.32).


CONCLUSIONS
This study has found no evidence that the insertion-deletion polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene is associated with pre-eclampsia.
Morgan
L
L
Clinical Chemistry Division, School of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University Hospital, Nottingham, UK. linda.morgan@nottingham.ac.uk
Foster
F
F
Hayman
R
R
Crawshaw
S
S
Baker
P N
PN
Broughton Pipkin
F
F
Kalsheker
N
N
D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D016017:Odds Ratio; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy
D017931:DNA Primers; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004247:DNA; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A