ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME GENE POLYMORPHISM AND CARDIOVASCULAR ENDOCRINE SYSTEM IN CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY PATIENTS

There is continuing interest in the link between angiotensin-convertin g enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and cardiovascula r diseases. Studies on various ethnic populations have shown conflicti ng evidence as to the association of the DD genotype with an increased risk of myocardial infarction. We examined the relationship between v arious cardiovascular hormones and ACE gene polymorphism in 149 subjec ts who underwent cardiac catheterization and had normal cardiac functi on. The distribution of the II, ID? and DD genotypes was 68, 67, and 1 4, respectively. Although serum ACE activity was higher in DD and ID t han in II (II 9.7 +/- 0.5 IU/l, ID 12.2 +/- 0.5, DD 12.8 +/- 1.2; p < 0.005), other factors of the renin-angiotensin system such as plasma r enin activity and plasma concentrations of angiotensin II and aldoster one were not different among the three genotypes. Plasma catecholamine s did not differ among the ACE genotypes either, however, plasma atria l natriuretic peptide (ANP) was significantly lower in the subjects ca rrying the D allele (II 38 +/- 5 pg/ml, ID 26 +/- 2, DD 21 +/- 3; p < 0.05). In particular, the DD genotype showed a low plasma ANP level al though the left ventricular mass index was greater than the other geno types (II 133 +/- 5 g/m(2), ID 137 +/- 6, DD 165 +/- 7; p < 0.05). The low plasma ANP in the DD genotype may contribute to the increased ris k of cardiovascular diseases.