ACE gene polymorphism and survival in atherosclerotic renovascular disease

Renovascular disease (RVD) is an important cause of end-stage renal disease and is associated with a high mortality rate, mostly because of coexisting cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. The deletion (DD) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been described in association with severe vascular disease affecting major organs. To investigate whether DD genotype is a risk factor for mortality in RVD, we performed a follow-up study of 61 patients with this disease. Patients (age, 68.0 +/- 6.5 years) affected by atherosclerotic vascular disease were enrolled after angiographic demonstration of a renal artery stenosis. The average follow-up was 48.1 +/- 14.9 months. Genotype was insertion/deletion (I/D) in 30 patients, DD in 27 patients, and II in 4 patients. At enrollment, a complete assessment of heart, blood vessels, and renal function was performed. During the follow-up period, 13 patients died (9 DD, 4 ID) and 7 patients evolved into end-stage renal failure. The cumulative survival rate at 5 years was 45.4% +/- 13.4%. Factors associated with mortality were analyzed with Cox proportional hazard regression. The multivariate analysis showed that DD genotype, severe carotid disease, and smoking were independent predictors of mortality. The multivariate analysis of predictors of renal failure showed that the only significant association was found with baseline serum creatinine level of 265 micromol/L or greater. We conclude that the DD genotype of the ACE gene is a marker for mortality in RVD.