Abdominal aortic aneurysm in normotensive patients: Association with angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism

Objective and Design: to assess if deletion of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene is a risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in normotensive patients. Materials and Methods: ACE gene polymorphism was examined by polymerase chain reaction in 124 subjects with AAA and in 112 control subjects. AAA normotensive patients (group A, n=56) were compared to normotensive control subjects (group B, n=112) and to AAA hypertensive patients (group C, n=68). All subjects enrolled in this study were Caucasian and from central and southern Italy. Results: the distribution of ACE genotypes was: normotensive patients with AAAs (group A): 3 II, 24 ID, 39 DD; normotensive control subjects (group B): 36 II, 48 ID, 28 DD; hypertensive patients with AAAs (group C): 14 II, 32 ID, 22 DD. The DD genotype was more common in group A than in control groups (A vs B: p <0.001; A vs C: p <0.001). The ID genotype was move common in group A as well (A vs B: p <0.05; A vs C: p <0.005). Conclusions: our data suggest a role for ACE I/D gene polymorphism in the pathogenesis of AAA in normotensive patients.