Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism on steroid resistance in Egyptian children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.
BACKGROUND
The presence of the deletion (D) allele in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been reported as a probable genetic risk factor for idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), but its role in determining resistance to steroid therapy remains to be evaluated.


METHODS
Fifty-one patients were enrolled in the study and received oral steroids. The pattern of response to steroid therapy was determined. A group of 50 healthy adults served as a control group. The genotypes for ACE insertion (I)/D polymorphism were analysed using a PCR-based method.


RESULTS
Twenty patients were steroid sensitive (SS) and 31 were non-SS. The presence of hypertension at presentation was significantly related to steroid unresponsiveness. Among the SS group, the frequencies of the II, ID, and DD genotypes of the ACE gene were 20% (n=4), 65% (n=13), and 15% (n=3), respectively, while the frequencies among the non-SS group were 19.4% (n=6), 74.2% (n=23), and 6.5% (n=2), respectively. The differences between the two groups were not statistically significant (Chi square=0.59).


CONCLUSIONS
The current study on Egyptian children with INS reveals no association between the ACE gene I/D polymorphism and clinical parameters, histological findings, and steroid resistance.
Saber-Ayad
Maha
M
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. mahamms@gmx.net
Sabry
Samar
S
Abdel-Latif
Inas
I
Nabil
Hanaa
H
El-Azm
Soheir Abo
SA
Abdel-Shafy
Sanaa
S
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D054643:INDEL Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics*; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D013256:Steroids; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A