title: The relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism and age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess the role of serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) levels and ACE insertion /deletion (I/D) genetic polymorphism in Turkish age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients and control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study consisted of 78 patients with AMD and 68 control subjects. The I/D polymorphism of the ACE was carried out by polymerase chain reaction. Serum ACE levels were determined by using the ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in the mean serum values of ACE between the control and patient groups (p = 0.107). The genotypic frequencies of ACE polymorphism in the control and patient groups were not significantly different either (p = 0.218).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could not show a significant role of serum ACE levels and ACE I/D genetic polymorphism in the etiopathogenesis of AMD in the Turkish population, and our findings did not support the idea that serum ACE levels and ACE DD genotype were risk factors for AMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey. ucerbasak@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Başak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Uçer
authors.forename: Ozcan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kayıkçıoğlu
authors.forename: Göktuğ
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seymenoğlu
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Var
authors.forename: Sırrı
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cam
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054643:INDEL Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A