Background: Intron 16 insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene may be associated with the progression of renal insufficiency in patients with renal diseases. The objective of this study was to determine whether D allele is a risk factor for the progression of the disease in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.
Methods: Using PCR techniques, genetic analysis of the ACE I/D polymorphism was performed on 326 dialysis patients. We compared the distribution of genotypes and allele frequency of this polymorphism in dialysis patients and the normal Japanese population. The clinical courses of 47 patients were studied retrospectively, and the progression of chronic renal failure using time plots of the reciprocal of serum creatinine (1/Cr) was estimated.
Results and conclusion: The frequencies for II, ID, and DD genotypes were 134, 148 and 44, respectively. The frequency for I allele was 0.64, and for D allele 0.36. These results were similar to the frequencies found in the normal Japanese population. However, patients with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) showed a high frequency for D allele (0.54: p = 0.023 by chi 2 method). In longitudinal courses, we did not find any association between ACE gene polymorphism and the declining rate of renal function. However, in patients with PKD, the DD genotype may influence the clinical course of renal disease.