Angiotensin-converting enzyme and apolipoprotein B polymorphisms in coronary artery disease

The association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) as well as apolipoprotein B polymorphisms and dyslipidemia and coronary artery disease (CAD) is controversial. We assessed the distribution of ACE insertion and/or deletion, apolipoprotein B signal peptide insertion and/or deletion, and apolipoprotein B XbaI restriction fragment length polymorphisms in 388 nondiabetic patients. We studied 112 patients with angiographically defined asymptomatic CAD or with stable functional classes I and II angina and 139 patients with acute myocardial infarction who were age matched to 137 control subjects. Univariate analysis showed higher prevalence of Xba50% reduction of lumen diameter. Overall, multivariable regression disclosed traditional risk factors and elevated levels of apolipoprotein B for men and reduced levels of apolipoprotein AI for women as independent variables for CAD. After adjustment for the most important subset of risk factors (age, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking), apolipoprotein B XbaI polymorphism was disclosed as an independent variable for CAD. Apolipoprotein B XbaI was also selected as an independent variable for acute myocardial infarction after adjusting for age, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking. Thus, in addition to traditional coronary risk factors, apolipoproteins B and AI, and apolipoprotein B XbaI polymorphism could be considered predictors of CAD.