ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DELETION POLYMORPHISM OF THE ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME GENE AND CEREBRAL ATHEROSCLEROSIS

We investigated deletion polymorphism in the gene for angiotensin-conv erting enzyme in patients with angiographically verified cerebral athe rosclerosis. Genotypes were determined by the polymerase chain reactio n with oligonucleotide flanking of the polymorphic region of intron 16 of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene. Results of angiotensin-con verting enzyme genotyping showed 46% of 50 studied patients to be homo zygous for the DD allele, whose prevalence was significantly increased as compared with a group of controls without atherosclerotic changes. In this control group, the following genotypes were observed (%): II = 24, ID = 52 and DD = 24. The frequency of the I and D alleles in the group of patients with cerebral atherosclerosis was 0.28 and 0.72, re spectively, whereas in the group without atherosclerosis it was 0.50 f or both. Furthermore, in the present study, the DD genotype was associ ated with a high level of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity , total and LDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol. A newly established a ssociation between DD genotype and cerebral atherosclerosis, detected even in our small group, supports the view that angiotensin-converting enzyme polymorphism might be indicative of the development of cerebra l atherosclerosis.