EFFECT OF ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME GENE POLYMORPHISM ON PREGNANCY OUTCOME, ENZYME-ACTIVITY, AND ZINC CONCENTRATION

Objective: To evaluate the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (AC E) genotypes on pregnancy outcome, the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension, and changes in blood pressure (BP) during pregnancy; and the relationship between plasma ACE activities and plasma and erythro cyte zinc concentrations in each genotype. Methods: The subjects (n = 191) were selected from 580 indigent African-American pregnant women w ho enrolled toward the end of a trial to evaluate the effect of zinc s upplementation on pregnancy outcome. This selection resulted in 93 sub jects who received zinc and 98 who received placebo. Sample size was c alculated with a 0.50 correlation coefficient between plasma ACE activ ities and zinc levels and a power of 80%. This calculation indicated t hat the sample size in each ACE genotype should be more than 28. Angio tensin-converting enzyme genotypes were identified using polymerase ch ain reaction. Blood pressure, plasma ACE activities, and plasma and er ythrocyte zinc concentrations were measured at each prenatal clinical visit. Results: Pregnancy outcome, the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension, and BP were not different among the three ACE genotypes. There was no significant correlation between plasma ACE activities an d zinc concentrations. Zinc supplementation did not have a significant effect on either plasma ACE activities or zinc concentrations, probab ly because of the small sample size in our study. Conclusion: There wa s no effect of ACE gene polymorphism on pregnancy outcome, the inciden ce of pregnancy-induced hypertension, or changes in BP during pregnanc y. Among each ACE genotype, plasma ACE activities did not correlate si gnificantly with plasma zinc concentrations.