Objective: To explore the relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism and risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD).
Methods: 148 patients with CHD and 159 unrelated healthy individuals were studied using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genetic methods. Risk factors of CHD were assessed by standard questionnaire, physical examination and blood tests.
Results: (1) There were no significant differences among genotypes in terms of years, sex, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL), HDL(2), HDL(3), apolipoprotein (Apo) AI, ApoB, and lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)]. The prevalence rates of hyperlipidemia, hypertension (HT), cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity were similar in the ACE genotypes (P > 0.05). (2) The DD genotype frequencies in low CHD risk groups, as defined by ApoB < 125 mg/dl and BMI <or= 24 kg/m(2), or TC < 230 mg/dl, TG < 200 mg/dl, LDL < 160 mg/dl and BMI <or=24 kg/m(2) without HT and DM were significantly higher than that in normal subjects (0.257, 0.315, 0.273 vs 0.157, chi(2) = 3.98, 7.80, 4.01, P < 0.05).
Conclusion: There was no correlations between ACE gene polymorphism and the classic CHD risk factors noticed. ACE DD genotype seemed to be an independent risk factor for CHD in the Chinese population.