title: Angiotensin-converting enzyme I/D gene polymorphism affects early cardiac response to professional training in young footballers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system plays a role in physiological and pathological responses of the heart to both static and dynamic exercise. Previous studies showed that the level of angiotensin II is determined by the angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (ACE I/D) polymorphism.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed in this study to determine the effect of ACE I/D gene polymorphism on the extent of functional and structural cardiac changes in response to one year of professional football training in young footballers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 68 young male football players and a comparable control group. Besides medical history and clinical examination, 12 lead ECG and transthoracic 2D echocardiography examination were performed. Genotyping of ACE was analyzed using PCR-based technique. There was no statistically significant difference in distribution of genotypes among athletes compared with control subjects. D allele showed a graded effect on both EF (73.55, 67.5 and 60.2%, p=0.03) and PASP (37.6, 26.1 and 21.39 mmHg, p=0.02) in DD, ID and II subjects, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early cardiac changes in young footballers can be affected by ACE I/D polymorphism. There is a summative effect of the D allele in increasing EF and PASP in response to professional football training.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Department, Cairo University, University of Sharjah, Cairo, Egypt msaber@sharjah.ac.ae mahamms@gmx.net.
authors.forename: Maha M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Saber-Ayad
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Department, Cairo University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Yasser S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Nassar
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, Cairo University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Inas A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Latif
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005538:Football; D005838:Genotype; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D054643:INDEL Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C488034:ACE protein, human; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
keywords: ACE I/D; echocardiography; exercise physiology; gene polymorphism; left ventricular mass