Background and objective: The association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) gene polymorphism and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) risk in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients is still controversial. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the association between ACE I/D gene polymorphism and ESRD susceptibility in IgAN patients.
Method: A predefined literature search and selection of eligible relevant studies were performed to collect data from electronic databases.
Results: Thirteen articles were identified for the analysis of the association between ACE I/D gene polymorphism and ESRD risk in IgAN patients. D allele and DD genotype were associated with ESRD susceptibility in IgAN patients for overall populations (p=0.01 and 0.003, respectively). In Asians, there was a markedly positive association between DD genotype and ESRD susceptibility (p=0.03). Furthermore, D allele and DD genotype were associated with ESRD susceptibility in Caucasians (p=0.02 and 0.03, respectively). However, II genotype might not play a protective role against ESRD onset for overall populations, Asians and Caucasians.
Conclusion: DD homozygote is a significant genetic molecular marker for the onset of ESRD in IgAN patients.
Keywords: End-stage renal disease; IgA nephropathy; angiotensin-converting enzyme; insertion/deletion gene polymorphism; meta-analysis.