Are the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene and activity risk factors for stroke?

Abstract

Stroke is a multifactorial disease in which genetic factors play an important role. This study was carried out to determine angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism in Turkish acute s t roke patients and to establish whether there is an association of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene I/D polymorphism with clinical parameters. In this study 185 patients and 50 controls were re c ruited. We have investigated the association among the allelic distribution of the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the ACE gene identified by polymerase chain reaction. Distribution of ACE gene I/D genotypes and allele frequencies in patients were not significantly different from controls. D allele frequencies were 57.8% in patients versus 53.0% in controls and I allele 42.2% versus 47% respectively. History of hypertension, stroke, renal, heart and vessel diseases incidence and age, gender, systolic-diastolic blood pressures and creatinine levels were significantly high in patients. But these results and ACE activities had no significant diff e rences among the ACE genotypes in patients and controls. Our results suggest that the ACE gene polymorphism is not associated with the pathogenesis of stroke in Turkish stroke patients.