ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To 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).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The 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.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Occurrence 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).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DD genotype of ACE gene may be the susceptible gene of CHD in patients of BSS type.</p>