LACK OF ASSOCIATION OF THE ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME GENE POLYMORPHISM WITH ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION IN A CHINESE POPULATION

To examine the association between insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphi sm of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene and essential hyper tension in a Chinese population, a case-control study was conducted us ing 157 hypertensive and 115 normotensive subjects. The I/D polymorphi sm of the ACE gene was identified by polymerase chain reaction. Plasma ACE activity was determined using spectrophotometry. The difference o f allele frequencies between normotensives and hypertensives was stati stically significant (chi(2) = 4.467, P = .035), while the gentotype d istribution was not different between normotensive and hypertensive su bjects (chi(2) = 3.954, P = .138). Plasma ACE activity was highest in the DD genotype, followed by the ID genotype, and the lowest in the II genotype (P = .0001 in normotensives and P = .163 in hypertensives, r espectively). Thus, we conclude that the ACE gene polymorphism is not associated with essential hypertension in this Chinese population, but plasma ACE activity is genetically determined in the normotensive Chi nese. (C) 1997 American JournaI of Hypertension, Ltd.