[Angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism and type 2 diabetic retinopathy]

To prospectively clarify the relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Type 2 diabetic patients.

A 6-year prospectively study was designed to investigate the change of retina of 72 Type 2 diabetic patients without retinopathy . All patients suffered from diabetes mellitus for more than 5 years and matched well in age, body mass index (BMI), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and fasting blood glucose (FBG). Patients were classified into 3 groups according to their genotypes of ACE. ACE gene I/D polymorphism was identified by polymerase chain reaction. The patients were followed up for 6 years and their BMI, serum creatinine (Scr), MAP, HbA1c, and retina were checked once every 1 - 2 years.

Seven subjects (9.7%) were discontinued prematurely. At the end of the study, there were no significant differences in the clinical parameters such as BMI, MAP, FBG, HbA1c, and Scr among the 3 groups (P > 0.05), and also in DR incidence in Type 2 diabetic patients among the 3 groups (II 67.9%, ID 69.6%, DD 64.3%, respectively, P > 0. 05).

There is no association between ACE gene I/D polymorphism and the genesis and development of DR in Type 2 diabetic patients.