Association Between ACE Gene I/D Polymorphism and Diabetic Retinopathy in Mexican Population

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a significant ocular complication. The insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been associated with its development.

To evaluate the relationship between the ACE gene I/D polymorphism and the presence of DR to identify the highest-risk allele.

79 patients with diabetic retinopathy and 75 healthy controls were studied. Metabolic and anthropometric measurements were performed, and DNA was extracted to identify the polymorphism using C-reactive protein. Fisher's exact test was used for comparative analysis of allele and genotypic frequencies.

The I/I genotype was more frequent in patients with DR (43%) and was associated with a 3.22-fold increased risk of developing the disease (p = 0.0123). The I allele frequency was 67% in patients and 56% in controls, though no significant difference was found (p = 0.073).

The higher frequency of the I/I genotype in patients with DR suggests that this genotype may be a risk factor for developing the disease in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Further studies are recommended to confirm these findings.