Left ventricular size, mass, and function in relation to angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism in humans

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Genetics
• Molecular Cardiology

Background:

• The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene possesses a common insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism.
• The DD genotype is associated with higher ACE activity and linked to left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and dysfunction in disease states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether the ACE gene I/D polymorphism influences LV mass or function in individuals without diagnosed heart disease.
• To determine if genetic variation in ACE predicts subclinical cardiac structure and function.

Main Methods:

• Genotyping for the ACE I/D polymorphism was performed using polymerase chain reaction on leukocyte DNA.
• Left ventricular (LV) mass and function were assessed using M-mode and Doppler echocardiography.
• Study population comprised 86 healthy adults aged 36-37 years.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in LV mass-to-body height ratio were observed among the II (99 ± 19 g/m), ID (99 ± 30 g/m), and DD (94 ± 24 g/m) genotype groups (P = 0.790).
• Echocardiographic indices of both systolic and diastolic LV function were not found to be related to ACE genotype.
• These findings indicate no detectable influence of ACE gene variation on LV structure or function in the absence of heart disease.

Conclusions:

• In healthy individuals, the ACE gene I/D polymorphism does not appear to exert a major influence on left ventricular mass or function detectable by echocardiography.
• The genetic variation in ACE may not be a significant determinant of subclinical cardiac phenotype in the absence of cardiovascular pathology.