Presence of the DD genotype of the ACE gene is more frequent in MH patients than in controls, indicating that this genotype could be a significant risk factor and a predictor for the development of MH.
Forty-two patients with malignant hypertension (mean age 55 years), 42 patients with non-malignant hypertension (mean age 57 years) and 85 normotensive control subjects (mean age 42 years) were investigated with respect to ACE I/D and AGT M/T genotypes.
Systolic blood pressure was measured by tail-cuff plethysmography during treatment; tissue and plasma angiotensin converting enzyme levels and renal histological changes were assessed at the end of the treatment period or upon development of malignant hypertension.