NO EFFECT OF INSERTION DELETION POLYMORPHISM AT THE ACE LOCUS ON NORMAL BLOOD-PRESSURE LEVEL OR VARIABILITY

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) cleaves angiotensin I to angiote nsin II, which is the active component in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). We have studied an insertion/deletion polymorphism in DNA at t he ACE locus. In three different series comprising 140, 90 and 136 unr elated individuals we found no evidence of association between genotyp es in this insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and level of systolic or diastolic blood pressure. In two series of 130 and 88 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs, respectively, there was no difference between genotyp es in within-pair variation in systolic or diastolic blood pressure. T hus, in these series of healthy people, neither ''level gene'' nor ''v ariability gene'' effects of this insertion/deletion polymorphism were observed.