Background: Hypertension (HT) is a public health challenge due to its high prevalence, and being a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. HT is a multifactorial disorder with genetic and environmental interactive factors.
Aim: This study aims to evaluate association of angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism (I/D) with blood pressure among Egyptian patients with essential hypertension and the interrelationship with other clinical parameters.
Subjects and methods: Eighty four patients with essential hypertension were included in this cross sectional descriptive study. Venous blood samples were withdrawn for DNA extraction, determination of different genotypes of ACE gene (I/D) polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and measuring serum ACE levels, lipid profile,
blood sugar and creatinin.
Results: The frequency of different ACE genotypes were; 41.7% homozygous (DD), 45.2% heterozygous (ID) and 13.1% homozygous (II) indicating that (D) allele is significantly associated with essential hypertension. Also serum ACE level was significantly correlated with ACE (I/D) polymorphism (p=0.001). Patients with DD genotype had the highest
serum ACE level followed by patients with ID genotype and patients with II genotype had the lowest serum ACE level.
Conclusion: ACE (I/D) polymorphism is associated with increased serum ACE activity and consequently with increased risk for essential hypertension and its complications."