Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism in untreated essential hypertension and response to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors

AIM: To study the insertion/deletion(I/D) polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene in untreated essential hypertension, and the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) on the gene polymorphism. METHODS: I/D Polymorphism in intron 16 of the ACE gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 99 normotensive subjects and 40 patients with untreated essential hypertension before and after captopril treatment (50 mg twice daily). The change of diastolic blood pressure achieved was analyzed for association with genotypes at the ACE gene. RESULTS: No significant difference was found on the alleles frequencies and on the genotype frequencies between normotensive and hypertensive groups, effective and no effective response to ACEI groups(P > 0.05). Statistical analysis of DD genotype and non DD genotype, non II genotype and II genotype showed no significant difference between normotensive and hypertensive groups, effective and noneffctive response to ACEI groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Deletion polymorphism of the ACE gene is not associated with essential hypertension. The variability between individuals in the observed blood pressure response to ACEI cannot be attributed to the polymorphisms analyzed at the ACE gene.