Abstract

BACKGROUND
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism has been known to related to atherosclerotic heart disease such as acute myocardial infarction or left ventricular hypertrophy, diabetic nephropathy or retinopathy, as well as, insulin sensitivity. However, an exact relationship between ACE gene polymorphism and aforementioned diseases have not been fully established. It has been suggested that NIDDM and atherosclerosis may have common pathogenesis since some of NIDDM patients already have atherosclerotic changes at the time of the initial diagnosis. Futhermore, offspring of NIDDM patients are considered as a high risk group for both NIDDM and atherosclerosis, and these two disorders are known to be affected by some common genetic factors. Therefore, in the present study, we planned to investigate, by analyzing female offspring of NIDDM patients (offspring), the relationship of ACE gene polymorphism to insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. METHODS: Fifty-three female offspring of patients with NIDDM were participated in this study, and twenty age-BMI matched normal glucose tolerant subjects without a family history of diabetes were selected as the controls. Based on 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, subjects were divided into normal glucose tolerance (n=42) or impaired glucose tolerance (n=ll). We assessed the patterns of body fat distribution by anthropometric measurement, bioelectric impedence analysis and computed tomogram; insulin sensitivity by minimal model analysis using insulin modified frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test; carotid intima-medial thickness by ultrasonography. We investigated the alleles of the ACE gene by PCR. RESULT: 1. ACE genotypes in offspring were distributed as follows; 39.6% for II, 32.0% for ID, 28.4% for DD 55.7% for I al#lele, 44.3% for D allele. This distribution was not significantly different from those in controls (35.0% for II, 55.0% for ID, 10.0% for DD, 62.5% for I allele, and 37.5% for D allele). 2. There was no significant difference in body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and serum lipid concentrations among three genotypes. However, in the subjects with ID genotype, VSR was significantly increased compared to the subjects with DD genotype (p<0.05). In the subjects with ID genotype, percent body fat, visceral fat area, CIMT were increased, and SI and SG were decreased in comparison to II and DD subjects, although the differences between the two groups did not reached the statistical significance. 3. When the subjects were divided into quartiles of CIMT, the frequency of ID genotype of ACE showed the tendency of increment from the lowest to the highest quartile of CIMT. 4. Multiple regression analysis showed that ACE genotypes was significantly associated with visceral obesity, carotid intima-medial thickening and insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSION: ACE genotypes was not significantly associated with visceral obesity, carotid intima- medial thickening and insulin sensitivity. However, to explore the true associations of ACE gene polymorphism with insulin resistance and ather-osclerosis, we further suggest and recommend prospective studies.

• Keywords: Angiotensin converting enzyme gene;Atherosclerosis;Insulin sensitivity;