Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene and retinal arteriolar narrowing: the Funagata Study.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism is associated with retinal arteriolar narrowing, a subclinical marker of chronic hypertension. The Funagata Study examined a population-based sample of Japanese aged 35+ years; 368 participants had both retinal vessel diameter measurements and ACE insertion/deletion (ACE I/D) polymorphism analyses performed. Assessment of retinal vessel diameter and retinal vessel wall signs followed the protocols used in the Blue Mountains Eye Study. ACE gene polymorphisms D/D, I/D and I/I were present in 34 (9.2%), 170 (46.2%) and 164 (44.5%) participants, respectively, distributed in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. After multivariable adjustment, retinal arteriolar diameter was significantly narrower in subjects with the D/D genotype compared to subjects with I/D and I/I genotypes (mean difference -6.49 microm, 95% confidence interval (CI): -12.86 microm, -0.11 microm). Our study suggests that the ACE I/D polymorphism may be associated with subclinical structural arteriolar changes related to chronic hypertension.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan.
Y
Y
Tanabe
R
R
Kawasaki
J J
JJ
Wang
T Y
TY
Wong
P
P
Mitchell
M
M
Daimon
T
T
Oizumi
T
T
Kato
S
S
Kawata
T
T
Kayama
H
H
Yamashita
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001160:Arterioles / Q000473:pathology; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors
D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A