Angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Back ground:

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic multisystemic cutoimmune inflammatory disease, polygenic inheritance and many environmental :actors play a role in its development. ACE gene insertion I deletion ( liD) polymorphism within intron 16 has been shown to encode the ACE eilZyme which is responsible for the different clinical manifestations of SLE .

Method:

This study was conducted on 50 SLE patients diagnosed accoding to the ACR criteria and 29 apparently healthy volunteers as control group , .1ll subjects were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination , Radiological and laboratory investigation (CBC, ESR serum urea and creatinine 24 ho·1rs urinary protein) and genetic study of the ACE gene liD using the PCR method.

Results:

The frequency of DD genotype was statistically significantly increasd in SLE patients compared to control group , p = 0,009, and also the DD genotype was associated with higher serum ACE level when compared to DI and II genotypes On comparing the frequency of DD and DI genotypes between SLE pa:ients with .• and without vasculitis :and those with and without nephritis, a statistically significant increase was observed in DD genotype.

Conclusion:

The associations observed in the current work highlight the potentially important role of ACE genotype and subsequently serum ACE in the pathophysiology of SLE.