The data thus provide evidence in favour of an association of HT with a polymorphism at the ACE locus (17q23), so implicating this locus, and possibly a genetic variant of ACE itself, in human essential hypertension.
To determine whether the ACE gene may be responsible for essential hypertension in a Japanese population, we also compared the distribution of genotypes and the allele frequency of this polymorphism in our findings of a Japanese population with these features in other countries.
These findings suggest that the effect of blood pressure on LVMI in essential hypertension is expressed only in the presence of the ACE gene deletion allele.
We conclude that, in this population, variations in the renin or ACE genes do not contribute significantly to the development of LVH or to essential hypertension.
Angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have provided a remarkable improvement in the treatment of patients with primary hypertension and congestive heart failure.
These data suggest that an I/D polymorphism of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme gene is a genetic factor associated with salt sensitivity of blood pressure independently of plasma renin activity in Japanese patients with essential hypertension.
These results suggest that the ACE gene was not directly responsible for essential hypertension in this particular Japanese population with the same socioeconomic background.
In particular, variants of the angiotensinogen and angiotensin converting enzyme genes have been associated with essential hypertension, myocardial infarction, or left ventricular hypertrophy.
Relationship between the angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism and the effects of enalapril on left ventricular hypertrophy and impaired diastolic filling in essential hypertension: M-mode and pulsed Doppler echocardiographic studies.
In conclusion, the D allele of the ACE gene is associated with microalbuminuria as well as with retinopathy and left ventricular hypertrophy, and seems to be an independent risk factor for target organ damage in essential hypertension.
To examine whether the angiotensinogen M235T and angiotensin converting enzyme insertion/deletion (I/D) variants are related to the severity of hypertension in patients with established essential hypertension.
To investigate the contribution of genetic polymorphisms at the ACE gene to the development of diastolic functional abnormalities in 100 patients with essential hypertension.
The response of blood pressure and plasma renin activity (PRA) 1 h after 50 mg captopril administration were evaluated in 82 inpatients with untreated essential hypertension (42 men, 40 women; mean age +/- SD: 52 +/- 13 years; range: 27 to 79 years) in relation to ACE genotypes.
We conclude that the interaction of the I/D ACE and M235T AGT polymorphic alleles can contribute to essential hypertension, despite the absence of single gene associations with the condition.