title: Is the association between ACE genes and blood pressure mediated by postnatal growth during the first 3 years?
abstract: Unlike the defined role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene in adult hypertension, ACE gene did not show direct influence on childhood blood pressure (BP), rather, seemed to be related to childhood growth with age-dependent characteristics. Thus, we examined intermediate effects of postnatal growth between the ACE polymorphisms and BP. We analyzed data from 257 children born in 2001-04 at Ewha Womans University Hospital in Seoul, Korea, and followed them up until 3 years of age. Children with excessive adiposity had higher BP, as rapid growers did to no-change and decelerated growers. The ACE II genotype was associated with greater growth acceleration than the DD genotype (II: 46.8% vs. DD: 23.9%), and with a higher BP. The interactions between ACE genotype and adiposity at age 3 were significant on the BP levels. The highest BP increase with the same degree of adiposity was observed in those with the II genotype [β (SE) for BMI: 1.9 (0.9), p=0.04]; particularly, only rapid grown II carriers demonstrated statistical significance on this linear association. These results suggested that ACE polymorphisms and BP association are mediated by postnatal growth. Further studies are required to determine the age-specific ACE genetic effects and its undefined biological mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, South Korea; Ewha Medical Research Institute, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, South Korea.
authors.forename: JungWon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Young Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hwayoung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun Ae
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Young Mi
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Se-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Eunhee
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: DukHee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Hyesook
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000235:genetics; D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; D000886:Anthropometry; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000235:genetics*; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
chemical_list: D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; C000705307:ACE2 protein, human; D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2