ABSTRACT
The deletion [D] allele of the angiotensin-I converting enzyme [ACE] is associated with higher ACE activity, it has been studied in various populations in relation lo hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus [DM] with contradictory results. The objective of this study was to determine the ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism, genotype distribution in Egyptian patients with type 2 DM and to evaluate the possible association of ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism with hypertension in diabetic patients. A total of 48 patients with type 2 DM, 23 of them had hypertension and 21 healthy subjects age and sex matched with the patients, as control group were included in this study. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. The frequency of DD genotype was significantly higher in diabetic patients compared to controls [p=0.008]. The DD genotype [Vs DI and II genotypes] was associated with increased risk of diabetes [OR: 3.647, 95% CI: 1.235-10.773, p=0.016] and the D allele was more frequent in diabetic patients and was associated with increased risk of diabetes [OR: 3.939, 95% CI: 1.782-8.709, p<0.001]. No significant difference in genotype distribution or allele frequency was detected between diabetic patients with and without hypertension. We can conclude that a significant association between ACE gene I/D polymorphism and type 2 DM is present in Egyptian patients and the D allele is associated with increased risk for type 2 DM