Pm. Frossard et al., Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion or deletion dimorphism in predisposition to cardiovascular diseases amongst United Arab Emirates nationals, SAUDI MED J, 19(6), 1998, pp. 713-719
Objectives: The absence of a 287 base pairs Alu sequence in the angiotensin
-converting enzyme gene (D allele) is associated with higher angiotensin co
nverting enzyme levels than its presence (I allele). There is, however, a h
uge body of conflicting reports that have linked angiotensin-converting enz
yme insertion/deletion to hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, myocardial
infarction, left ventricular hypertrophy, as well as several other clinica
l entities. We carried out a retrospective, case-control study of the angio
tensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion dimorphism in relation to circu
lating angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, as well as to hypertention,
ischemic heart disease, myocardial infaction and left ventricular hypertrop
hy, amongst United Arab Emirates nationals subjects (Emirati).
Methods: We investigated a sample population of 285 Emirati comprising grou
ps of controls and of patients with clinical diagnoses of hypertension, isc
haemic heart disease, myocardial infaction and left ventricular hypertrophy
. Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion genotypes were determine
d by assays based on polymerase chain reaction.
Results: The D allele was associated with increased circulating angiotensin
-converting enzyme activity, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme insertio
n/deletion marker accounted for 28% of the variance of the phenomenon deter
mining angiotensin-converting enzyme levels. We found, however, no associat
ion between angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion and clinical d
iagnoses of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, myocardial infarction an
d left ventricular hypertrophy.
Conclusion: Although the D allele of the angiotensin converting enzyme inse
rtion/deletion dimorphism tracks with circulating angiotensin-converting en
zyme activities in United Arab Emirates nationals, it does not constitute a
predictive marker for CVDs in this population.