Objective: This study compared the effect of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms on the incidence and outcome of sepsis in ventilated very low birth weight infants.
Study design: Infectious complications were retrospectively determined in 295 (234 African-American, 58 Caucasian and three Hispanic) mechanically ventilated very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (<1500 g at birth) and compared ACE I/D genotype.
Results: The incidence of the D allele in the study population was 0.60. A total of 113 (38.3%) infants were homozygous DD, 128 (43.4%) were heterozygous ID and 54 (18.3%) were homozygous II. One or more episodes of late BSI developed in 28 (52%) of 54 infants with the II genotype, 66 (52%) of 128 infants with the ID genotype and 52 (46%) of 113 infants with the DD genotype (p=0.618). Neither the rates of non-CONS BSI (II: 24%, ID: 23%, DD: 22%; p=0.937) nor multiple bacteremic/fungemic episodes (II: 13%, ID: 16%, DD: 12%; p=0.641) were different between genotype groups. The ACE I/D polymorphism had no effect on sepsis-related mortality (II: 7%, ID: 5%, DD: 4%; p=0.692). Sepsis mortality for infants with late BSI was 14% in infants with the II genotype, 9% with the ID genotype and 10% with the DD genotype (p=0.764).
Conclusions: The ACE I/D polymorphism does not have a significant effect on the incidence or outcome of sepsis in ventilated VLBW infants.