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Investigation of ACE gene polymorphism and serum ACE activity in relation to alopecia areata among Iraqi patients
Dalya Jamal Dhahir1, Mohammed A Mohammed1, Mohammad M F Al-Halbosiy2
1Biotechnology Department, College of Applied Science, University of Fallujah, Anbar, Iraq.
Background:
Alopecia areata (AA) is a multifactorial disorder with immune dysregulation and genetic susceptibility, affecting 0.5-2% globally.
Objective:
This study investigated angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion /deletion (I/D) polymorphism and serum ACE activity in Iraqi AA patients and their association with inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-17) and nutritional markers to understand disease progression.
Methods:
This case-control study included 50 AA patients (Male and Female) and 35 healthy controls. ACE gene polymorphism (rs1799752) was analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) with high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis. Serum IL-17 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and biochemical markers were measured using an automated analyzer.
Results:
ACE gene polymorphism (rs1799752) showed non-significant genotype distribution between patient and control groups (p > 0.05), though a trend toward DD genotype enrichment was observed in patients. Serum ACE levels were significantly higher in patients versus controls (p < 0.0001) with high diagnostic performance. ACE correlated positively with IL-17 (P < 0.0001) and negatively with vitamin D3 and zinc (P < 0.0001). Female patients had significantly higher ACE levels than males (P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
ACE emerges as an immunometabolic hub in AA pathogenesis, integrating inflammation with nutritional deficits, suggesting its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target.
