title: Assessment of insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene in abdominal aortic aneurysm and inguinal hernia.
abstract: The aim of the paper is to determine whether the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism is associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and inguinal hernia. A case-control study was conducted in 264 subjects: 65 patients with AAA, 91 patients with inguinal hernia, 19 patients with both AAA and hernia, and 89 controls were investigated for the ACE I/D polymorphism. Genotype analysis was performed using a polymerase chain reaction technique. Significant differences in the genotype between the patient groups and controls were identified (aneurysm versus control, P = 0.011; aneurysm plus hernia versus control, P = 0.022; hernia versus control, P = 0.001), whereas no differences were found within patient groups. Patients with AAA and/or hernia had an increased prevalence of I/D heterozygosity, which persisted even after adjusting for differences in confounding clinical variables (aneurysm versus control, OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.8, P = 0.005; aneurysm plus hernia versus control, OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.9, P = 0.040; hernia versus control, OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.7, P = 0.004). In conclusion, an association between the heterozygote ACE I/D state and the presence of AAA and/or hernia was identified. The role of the ACE I/D polymorphism in aneurysm and hernia needs further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece. antoniou.ga@hotmail.com
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Antoniou
authors.forename: Miltos K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lazarides
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patera
authors.forename: Stavros A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Antoniou
authors.forename: Athanasios D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Giannoukas
authors.forename: George S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Georgiadis
authors.forename: Stavroula Vouliana
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Veletza
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006115:Greece; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors