Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, I/D) gene polymorphism and susceptibility to abdominal aortic aneurysm or aortoiliac occlusive disease.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of polymorphism in angiotensin converting enzyme gene (ACE, I/D) in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD).


METHODS
We investigated 829 individuals in 4 groups: AAA (n = 133), AIOD (n = 152), control (n = 152), and a random Polish population group (n = 392). ACE I/D gene polymorphism analysis was performed by polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis. The genotype distribution was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.


RESULTS
The genotype distribution and allele frequency of ACE I/D were not significantly different between patients with AAA or AIOD and the control or the population group. Significant differences were found between the following groups: 1) hypertensive patients with AAA and normotensive patients with AAA (OR = 3.08 95% CI 1.22-7.79, P = 0.0147); 2) hypertensive patients with AAA and the population group (OR = 2.56; 95% CI 1.27-5.16, P = 0.0066). Since the majority of subjects were male, these associations were also true when only male hypertensive subjects with AAA were compared with male normotensive patients with AAA or to male population group. No relation of the ACE gene polymorphism to hypertension in the AIOD group was found.


CONCLUSIONS
ACE I/D gene polymorphism is not a susceptibility factor to aortoiliac occlusive disease; however it may be an important factor in the development of AAA when coexisting with hypertension.
Korcz
Aleksandra
A
Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland. olakorcz@man.poznan.pl
Mikołajczyk-Stecyna
Joanna
J
Gabriel
Marcin
M
Zowczak-Drabarczyk
Miłosława
M
Pawlaczyk
Katarzyna
K
Kalafirov
Monika
M
Oszkinis
Grzegorz
G
Słomski
Ryszard
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000235:genetics*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007083:Iliac Artery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A