ABSTRACT
Plasma and tissue ACE [angiotensin converting enzyme] activities are under genetic control. Increased ACE activity due to the deletion polymorphism of the ACE gene is associated with diseases that exhibit endothelial disturbance. Studies in various ethnic group have shown contradictory evidence on the association of ACE insertion/deletion [I/D] polymorphism with preeclampsia [PE]. In this study, we studied the potential association of I/D polymorphism of the ACE gene with PE. One hundred and seventeen preeclamptic women and 102 age-matched normotensive pregnant women were recruited from El Shatby Maternity Hospital Alexandria University. We performed genotyping for all the studied cases taking into account some wellknown contributing factors in PE such as maternal age, primiparity, gestational age and proteinuria. All these variables were significantly associated with PE.There was a shift in the genotype frequency distribution among preeclamptic women. The highest being for the II genotype, where the distribution of the II, ID and DD ACE genotypes was 51.3%, 26.5% and 22.2% in PE and 4.85%, 15.13% and 80.22% in normotensive subjects. The estimated frequencies of the insertion allele were 68.9% and 12.7% in PE and healthy controls respectively, while the frequencies of the deletion allele were 31.3% and 87.3% in PE and controls respectively. The present study showed that the ACE II genotype may have a predisposing effects on preeclampsia especially in younger women and/or in women with earlier gestational age .The ACE DD genotype didn't show any association with preeclampsia. The genetic susceptibility in preeclampsia needs more studies about the role of other candidate genes in addition to the ACE gene