ABSTRACT
It has recently been shown that an insertion [I]/deletion [D] polymorphism exists in the angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE] gene that can affect the serum ACE level. There are three genotypes: DD, DI, and II, with the ACE level being highest in DD, intermediate in DI, and lowest in II. The DD genotype has been reported as a genetic risk factor for diabetes mellitus. In the present investigation, 170 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM] and 144 control subjects were studied. The ACE I/D polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction [PCR] utilizing specific primers. ACE activity was determined spectrophotometrically. Distribution of ACE gene [I/D] polymorphism and allele frequencies in patients with T2DM were significantly different from those in control [P < 0.001]; D allele frequency was 51% in T2DM vs. 48% in controls. The level of ACE activity was significantly higher in the DD genotype [91.1 +/- 23.18] than those in ID [60.6 +/- 22.8] and in II genotypes [36.8 +/- 6.9]. There was a significant difference in genotype distribution between the two groups [P < 0.001]. New normal ranges of serum ACE level were determined for each genotype. Moreover, we found test sensitivity to be 62.3%. Serum ACE activity was significantly associated with ACE [I/D] gene polymorphism