Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion or deletion dimorphism in predisposition to cardiovascular diseases amongst United Arab Emirates nationals

Objectives: The absence of a 287 base pairs Alu sequence in the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (D allele) is associated with higher angiotensin converting enzyme levels than its presence (I allele). There is, however, a huge body of conflicting reports that have linked angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion to hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, left ventricular hypertrophy, as well as several other clinical entities. We carried out a retrospective, case-control study of the angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion dimorphism in relation to circulating angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, as well as to hypertention, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infaction and left ventricular hypertrophy, amongst United Arab Emirates nationals subjects (Emirati). Methods: We investigated a sample population of 285 Emirati comprising groups of controls and of patients with clinical diagnoses of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, myocardial infaction and left ventricular hypertrophy. Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion genotypes were determined by assays based on polymerase chain reaction. Results: The D allele was associated with increased circulating angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion marker accounted for 28% of the variance of the phenomenon determining angiotensin-converting enzyme levels. We found, however, no association between angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion and clinical diagnoses of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, myocardial infarction and left ventricular hypertrophy. Conclusion: Although the D allele of the angiotensin converting enzyme insertion/deletion dimorphism tracks with circulating angiotensin-converting enzyme activities in United Arab Emirates nationals, it does not constitute a predictive marker for CVDs in this population.