Adult ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; blood ; genetics ; Pneumoconiosis ; blood ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) plays an important role in the physiology of vasculature, blood pressure and inflammation. ACE gene, known to have insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism, has been widely investigated in its relation with cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and longevity. ACE gene polymorphism in an inflammation associated osteoarthritis (OA) patients is not known. Here we have investigated ACE gene polymorphism in 142 Korean primary knee OA patients and 135 healthy volunteers to establish any clinical correlates between ACE polymorphism and knee osteoarthritis. Clinical parameters such as disease onset age, Kellgren-Lawrence grade and Lequesne's functional index provided additional analysis of the relationship of ACE polymorphism and clinical features of OA. Early onset OA showed significantly higher allele frequency and carriage rate of I than late onset OA. Radiographically severe and functionally poor OA showed higher carriage rate of I allele than radiographically mild and functionally good OA, respectively. This study first reports ACE gene polymorphism to be a risk factor for early onset, severe form primary knee OA.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/*genetics ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A/blood/*genetics ; *Polymorphism (Genetics)

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship of disease severity with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and serum ACE activity in preterm infants during the first 7 days of life.

METHODSACE genotypes were determined in 85 preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Serum ACE activity was measured and disease severity was evaluated by the Neonatal Critical Score (draft) 1, 3 and 7 days after birth.

RESULTSOf the 85 preterm infants, DD genotype was found in 19 cases, ID genotype in 34 cases and II genotype in 32 cases. On the 1st day of life, serum ACE activity in the DD genotype (33.42+/-7.93 U/L) and the ID genotype groups (31.53+/-7.56 U/L) were significantly higher than that in the II genotype group (25.53+/-7.56 U/L) (P<0.01). After 3 and 7 days of life, serum ACE activity decreased in the three groups, but the DD genotype group remained the highest ACE activity, followed by the ID genotype and the II genotype groups. On the 1st day of life, the critical score of the DD genotype group (87.37+/-8.30) was lower than the ID genotype (95.82+/-5.85) and the II genotype groups (95.88+/-6.85) (P<0.01). On the 3rd day, the critical score of the DD genotype group was still lower than the ID genotype group (92.95+/-7.10 vs 96.94+/-5.85) (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSACE gene I/D polymorphism may be associated with the disease severity in preterm infants. The DD genotype carriers present more severe disease status, with higher serum ACE activity. Although the disease status can influence serum ACE activity, serum ACE activity is determined by the ACE genotype.

Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Male ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; blood ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether the insertion/deletion(I/D) polymorphism in the angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) gene is associated with essential hypertension in Xinjiang Kazakh isolated population.

METHODSThe study covered 201 hypertensives and 151 normotensive controls in Xinjiang Barlikun Kazakh population. The I/D polymorphism of ACE gene was determined by polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTSThe frequencies of D and I in the hypertensive group (0.44 and 0.56, respectively) were not significantly different from the controls(0.39 and 0.61, respectively, P=0.16). The frequencies of ACE genotypes of DD, ID, and II were 0.18, 0.52, 0.30 in hypertensives respectively and 0.17, 0.43, 0.40 in control group respectively. There was no significant difference in genotypes between hypertensive group and normotensive group (P=0.14).

CONCLUSIONThe results suggested that the I/D polymorphism of ACE gene might not be associated with hypertension in the Kazakh population of Xinjiang Barlikun area.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Blood Pressure ; genetics ; China ; ethnology ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Hypertension ; genetics ; INDEL Mutation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Population Groups

Angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) is a key regulator of blood pressure, electrolytes and fluid homeostasis through conversion of angiotensin I into angiotensin II. Recently, a genetic polymorphism of the ACE gene, which accounts for 47% of the variation of ACE activity in blood, has been advocated as a biomarker of athletic aptitude. Different methods of analysis and determination of ACE activity in plasma have been used in human and equine research without a consensus of a "gold standard" method. Different methods have often been used interchangeably or cited as being comparable in the existing literature; however, the actual agreement between assays has not been investigated. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the level of agreement between three different assays using equine plasma obtained from 29 horses. Two spectrophotometric assays using Furylacryloyl-phenylalanyl-glycyl-glycine as substrate and one fluorimetric assay utilizing o-aminobenzoic acid-FRK-(Dnp)P-OH were employed. The results revealed that the measurements from the different assays were not in agreement, indicating that the methods should not be used interchangeably for measurement of equine ACE activity. Rather, a single method of analysis should be adopted to achieve comparable results and critical appraisal of the literature is needed when attempting to compare results obtained from different assays.
Animals ; Enzyme Assays/*methods ; Female ; Fluorometry/*methods ; Horses/blood/genetics/*metabolism ; Male ; Oligopeptides/pharmacology ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A/blood/genetics/*metabolism ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Reference Values ; Spectrophotometry/*methods

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 42 pregnant women in the following categories: 30 cases of preeclampsia (mild preeclampsia, n=15; severe preeclampsia, n=15), and normal pregnancy (control group,n=12). The expression and localization of ACE mRNA in the placenta of the 3 groups were respectively examined by in situ hybridization. Ultraviolet radiation colorimetry was used to detect the activity of ACE in the placenta tissue homogenate and the mothers' serum in the 3 groups. RESULTS: The expression of ACE mRNA was found in the endothelial cells of villus and trophoblasts in the placenta. The positive index of ACE mRNA in the placenta of preeclampsia(3.12+/-0.94) was higher than that in the normal pregnancies(1.65+/-0.67) (P<0.05), and there was significant difference between severe preeclampsia and mild preeclampsia (P<0.05). The levels of ACE activity in the placenta tissue homogenate and the maternal serum of preeclampsia were higher than those in the normal pregnancies (P<0.05), and there was significant difference between severe preeclampsia and mild preeclampsia (P<0.05). The placenta tissue homogenate ACE activity was correlated with ACE activity of the maternal serum (r=0.781,P<0.05). CONCLUSION The expression and activity of local ACE in the placenta tissue may play an important role in preeclampsia and contribute to the development of preeclampsia.
Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; blood ; genetics ; metabolism ; Placenta ; enzymology ; Pre-Eclampsia ; enzymology ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics

This study was conducted to research the association between the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) gene and human speed endurance. Fourty subjects of Han nationality, healthy, with similar sports history were included. The I/D polymorphism of ACE gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The score of 800m run and the concentrations of the whole blood lactic acid were mensurated. Cluster analysis of the grade was made according to the result of cluster analysis. The subjects were divided into two groups: high speed endurance group and low speed endurance group. We found that both the distributions of the ACE genotypes and the distributions of the ACE alleles there were no significant difference between high speed endurance group and low speed endurance group (P > 0.05); Whether at rest state, or after 800m run or the difference value between rest and after 800m run,the concentrations of the whole blood lactic acid did not exist significant difference among three kinds of genotypes groups (P > 0.05). There was on association with I/D polymorphism of ACE gene and human speed endurance.
Adult ; Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cluster Analysis ; Exercise Tolerance ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; blood ; Male ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and blood stasis syndrome (BSS) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

METHODSThe ACE gene type in 48 patients of CHD of BSS type, 52 CHD patients of non-BSS type and 54 healthy subjects (control) was determined by PCR assay, also levels of endothelin (ET), angiotensin II (Ag II), and nitric oxide (NO) were determined.

RESULTSOccurrence of DD genotype and allele genotype of ACE gene was higher in patients of BSS than that in patients of non-BSS and control (P < 0.01). ET/NO level was higher in patients of BSS than that in control (P < 0.01). ET and Ag II levels in patients of BSS were significantly higher than those in patients of non-BSS (P < 0.05) and control (P < 0.01). Levels of ET/NO and Ag II in subjects with DD genotype in various groups were higher than those in subjects with Ag II or ID genotype, the highest level occurred in patients of BSS with DD genotype, when compared with the other two groups, the difference in Ag II was significant (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01), when compared with control, the difference in ET/NO was significant (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONDD genotype of ACE gene may be the susceptible gene of CHD in patients of BSS type.

Aged ; Alleles ; Angina Pectoris ; genetics ; Angiotensin II ; blood ; Coronary Artery Disease ; genetics ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endothelins ; blood ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) gene and the levels of ACE and PAI-1 in Chinese Han patients with essential hypertension (EH) in Guangdong Province.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction was used to examine the ACE genotype, colorimetry used to measure the serum ACE level, and spectrophotometric assay performed to examine the plasma PAI-1 level in 115 EH patients and 96 healthy controls in Guangdong Province.

RESULTSThe ACE DD genotype and D allele frequencies were significantly higher in EH group than in the control group (P<0.05), and the EH patients also had significantly higher serum ACE level and plasma PAI-1 level than the control subjects (P<0.01). The serum ACE level was positively correlated with plasma PAI-1 level in both EH group and control group (r=0.7913 and 0.7806, respectively, P<0.01). In EH group, the patients with DD genotype showed significantly higher serum ACE and plasma PAI-1 levels than those with ID and II genotypes (P<0.01), and patients with ID genotype had significantly higher ACE and PAI-1 levels than those with II genotype (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe DD genotype and D allele of ACE gene can be risk factors for essential hypertension in Chinese Han subjects in Guangdong Province, and the EH patients have elevated serum ACE and plasma PAI-1 levels. Increased ACE level due to DD polymorphism may play an important role in elevating plasma PAI-1 level. The genetic variation of ACE contributes to the balance of fibrinolytic pathway, which may be one of the pathological mechanisms linking the ACE I/D genotype and EH.

Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypertension ; blood ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; blood ; genetics ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; blood ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODSTwo hundred and nine patients with T2DM diagnosed based on the criteria for diabetes mellitus in 1999 by WHO and 221 controls were recruited from general population of Dongcheng District in Beijing. All subjects were genotyped for the I/D polymorphism of ACE gene by PCR-fragment length polymorphism (FLP) assay. Blood pressure, levels of plasma glucose, lipids and serum insulin were determined. Body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR) and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were calculated.

RESULTSThe genotype frequencies for ACE genes DD, ID, and II were 19.1%, 42.1%, and 38.8% in patients, respectively, and 9.6%, 49.4%, and 41.0% in controls, respectively. The ACE DD genotype frequency was significantly higher in patients than in controls (chi2 = 7.61, P = 0.022). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the ACE DD genotype was a risk factor for T2DM, with the OR of 2.35 (95% CI 1.17-4.71) adjusted for age, sex, BMI, WHR, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol levels.

CONCLUSIONThe ACE DD genotype is associated with the increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Adult ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genetic Testing ; Genotype ; Humans ; Insulin ; blood ; Insulin Resistance ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Risk Factors