Angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism studies: A case-control study

Association of gene polymorphisms of ACE, AGT, and ARNT-like protein 1 with susceptibility to gestational diabetes

Background and aims

Gestational diabetes mellitus is well-defined as glucose intolerance first documented during pregnancy. In this study, we examined the possible associations between I/D polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene, the M235T variant of angiotensinogen gene, and the rs7950226 polymorphism of the ARNT-like protein-1 (BMAL1) gene and the risk for diabetes in Egyptian pregnant women.

Subjects and methods

This study recruited 160 gestational diabetes cases and 165 controls. Genomic DNA was derived from peripheral blood leukocytes and ACE gene (I/D) genotyping was performed using the method of polymerase chain reaction and the polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism was used for identifying the M235T variant of AGT gene and the rs7950226 polymorphism of the BMAL1.

Results

The II, ID, and DD genotypes of the ACE gene have significant differences in cases compared to controls (P = 0.000 and X2 = 81.77). The M235T polymorphism of the AGT gene was increased with gestational diabetes risk. Furthermore, the AA genotype of the BMAL1 rs7950226 gene was significantly related to the gestational diabetes risk (P = 0.000 and X2 = 52.82). Furthermore, the allele frequencies of the three variants have significant variances between cases and control.

Conclusion

This study suggested significant associations between ACE (DD), AGT (TT), and BMAL1 rs7950226 (AA) gene polymorphisms with gestational diabetes susceptibility and there was a possibility to identify that II + MM + GG as protective haplotypes and DD + TT + AA as risk haplotypes for gestational diabetes.

Development of One-Step Tetra-primer ARMS-PCR for Simultaneous Detection of the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) I/D and rs4343 Gene Polymorphisms and the Correlation with CAD Patients

BACKGROUND

The Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Insertion/Deletion and rs-4343 gene polymorphisms could be associated with pathogenesis of essential hypertension and cardiovascular disorders and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). In the present study, a fast and novel approach of multiplex Tetra-Primer Amplification Refractory Mutation System-PCR (T-ARMS-PCR) was developed for simultaneous detection of two SNPs including ACE I/D (rs4340) and 2350A>G (rs4343) of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) gene.

METHODS

The present research was performed using 148 blood samples taken from patients with CAD and 135 healthy individuals. One set of inner primers (for rs4343) and one set of outer primer pairs were designed for genotyping of Insertion/Deletion and rs4343 polymorphisms in single tube T-ARMS-PCR.

RESULTS

Our results manifested that genotypes and alleles frequency of the ACE polymorphisms showed no statistically significant association between CAD patients and the control group. In addition, complete concordance was seen between sensitive Tetra-ARMS-PCR and sequencing method.

CONCLUSION

The technique is the first work for simultaneous detection of Insertion/Deletion polymorphism and rs4343 SNPs in ACE gene and the results were entirely according to those from an independent procedure.

Interaction of renin-angiotensin system gene polymorphisms with hypertension in Chinese patients with type 1 diabetes and retinopathy

Background

The objective of this research was to investigate the interaction of RAS gene polymorphisms in Chinese patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods

Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes and genotyping for the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene I/D and angiotensinogen (AGT) gene M/T polymorphisms was performed using the polymerase chain reaction method. 311 T1DM patients were recruited for the assessment of ACE and AGT polymorphisms relating to DR.

Results

Compared with the diabetic non-retinopathy (DNR) patients, DR patients had lower proportion of diabetic nephropathy (p<0.001) and M allele (p=0.013). Intriguingly, the frequency D allele (p=0.035) was lower in DR patients with hypertension, as well as DD (p=0.003) and DI genotype (p=0.012) in DR patients with normal blood pressure after multiple tests with Bonferroni correction, but D allele (p=0.025) displayed higher in normotensive patients with T1DM. Logistic regression analyses indicated that no significant relationship existed about the genotype and allele polymorphisms with the progress of DR after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusions

Interaction of hypertension and the RAS gene polymorphisms might have a role in the DR development in Chinese T1DM patients.

Up-Regulation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Enhances Cell Proliferation and Predicts Poor Prognosis in Laryngeal Cancer

Background

The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, CD143) gene plays a crucial role in the pathology of many cancers. Previous studies mostly focused on the gene polymorphism, but the other functions of ACE have rarely been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of ACE and its biological function, as well as its prognostic value, in laryngeal cancer.

Material/Methods

The expression of ACE was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis in 106 patients with laryngeal cancer and 85 healthy people. Then the cell proliferation was estimated after the cell lines Hep-2 were transfected with pGL3-ACE and empty vector, respectively. In addition, the relationship between ACE expression and clinicopathologic characteristics was analyzed. Finally, Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the overall survival of patients with different ACE expression, while Cox regression analysis was conducted to reveal the prognostic value of ACE in laryngeal cancer.

Results

Our results demonstrate that ACE is over-expressed in laryngeal cancer and thus promotes cell proliferation. The up-regulation of ACE was significantly influenced by tumor stage and lymph node metastasis. Patients with high ACE expression had a shorter overall survival compared with those with low ACE expression according to Kaplan-Meier analysis. The ACE gene was also found to be an important factor in the prognosis of laryngeal cancer.

Conclusions

Our study shows that the ACE gene was up-regulated, which promoted the cell proliferation, and it could be an independent prognostic marker in laryngeal cancer.