The D allele of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene contributes towardsblood LDL-cholesterol levels and the presence of hypertension

Coronary artery disease is a polygenic disease whose phenotypic manifestati on depends on the interaction of the genetic background with a number of en vironmental factors. Recently, the gene coding for the angiotensin-converti ng enzyme (ACE) has been characterized and a deletion/insertion (D/I) polym orphism was defined. The prevalence of the three genotypes and their associ ation with coronary artery disease (CAD) differ in different population gro ups. Mostly, the D allele was found as a significant risk factor for CAD, i ndependently from other risk factors. In the present study, we determined t he distribution of ACE alleles (D or I) in a cohort of healthy Israeli men and examined the correlation of the different genotypes with various CAD ri sk factors. We found LDL cholesterol levels to be highest in the DD genotyp e group, intermediate in the DI genotype group and lowest in the II genotyp e group. We also found higher blood pressure levels in subjects bearing the D allele compared to II homozygous subjects. In conclusion, it appears tha t the genetic influence of the D/I polymorphism on CAD manifests primarily through traditional risk factors. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ir eland Ltd. All rights reserved.