The genetic polymorphisms of angiotensin converting enzyme insertion/deletion and glioma susceptibility: A meta-analysis

Genetic variants in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system: Impact on cancer risk, prognosis, and therapeutic directions

Although renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is known to maintain blood pressure and electrolyte balance, it has recently been linked to a number of biological processes such as angiogenesis, tumorigenesis, metastasis, and cellular proliferation, increasing the risk of cancer development and progression. Multiple genetic variants have been found to affect the genes encoding RAAS components, altering gene transcription and protein expression. This review provides an up-to-date insight into the role of RAAS in carcinogenesis, as well as the impact of RAAS genetic variants on the risk of cancer development, progression, and patient survival and outcomes, as well as response to treatment. This paves the way for the application of precision medicine in cancer risk assessment and management by implementing preventative programs in individuals at risk and guiding the therapeutic direction in cancer patients.

Association of the ACE and AGT gene polymorphisms with global disparities in COVID-19-related deaths

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to investigate the gene polymorphisms of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensinogen (AGT), and angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) in association with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality rates worldwide.

METHODS

The prevalence of ACE I/D, AGT M235T, and AT1R A1166C alleles' frequencies in different populations was assessed. Data on COVID-19-related cases and deaths were acquired from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, which included weekly reports by country and continent. An Excel tool was developed to visualize the acquired data of mortality and incidence by classifying them by continent/country across specific periods of time. Spearman's nonparametric correlation was used to evaluate the association between country-based frequencies in RAS gene polymorphisms and COVID-19-related deaths.

RESULTS

While China constituted the initial reservoir of COVID-19, incidence/mortality rates in Europe and America outnumbered the figures in the former. A clear association was identified between death rates and ACE D/I ( r  = 0.3659; P  = 0.033), as well as AGT A/G variants ( r  = 0.7576; P  = 0.015). Data on AT1R polymorphisms suggested no correlation with mortality rates.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated a significant disparity in COVID-19-related susceptibility and mortality among different populations and corroborate the importance of gene polymorphisms in predicting and consequently improving patients' outcomes.