Increased Frequency Of An Ace Polymorphism In Ethiopian Elite Marathon Runners

Abstract

1769 The Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme (ACE) gene ID polymorphism is defined by the presence (insertion, I) or absence (deletion, D) of a 287 bp fragment in an Alu sequence. There is controversy as to whether this polymorphism is associated with elite athletic performance due to the heterogeneity of the study cohorts with regard to training status, sport and ethnic background. There have been no studies investigating the possible link between the ACE polymorphism and athletic performance in Africans. PURPOSE: To compare the ACE ID genotype of elite Ethiopian athletes to the general Ethiopian population and assess whether the ACE polymorphism is associated with athletic performance. METHODS: DNA was extracted from buccal swabs collected from 114 members of the Ethiopian national athletics team, 109 individuals representative of the general Ethiopian population (C), and 99 individuals from Arsi (R), a region renowned for athletic success. Athletes belonged to three groups: Marathon (M; n = 34), 5,000–10,000 m (5–10 km; n = 42) and other track and field athletes (TF; n = 38). The ACE ID genotype was determined using a 3-primer PCR system. Group differences were analysed using contingency chi-square tests. RESULTS: Genotypes of elite Ethiopian male marathoners differed from Ethiopian males, with a higher proportion of ACE II homozygotes in marathoners relative to controls (M: 22.7 %; C: 4.3 %; p = 0.023). No other genotype differences were found. Allele frequencies of male marathoners also differed from Ethiopian males, with a greater proportion of I alleles in marathoners relative to controls (M: 0.43; C: 0.26; p = 0.044). No other allele frequency differences were found in males (R: 0.35; 5–10 km: 0.40; TF: 0.36) or females (R: 0.39; 5–10 km: 0.42; TF: 0.23). CONCLUSION: A higher ACE II genotype and I allele frequency was found in elite Ethiopian male marathoners compared to the general Ethiopian male population. This may be a reflection of the region of Arsi where the majority of male marathoners originate. Research part-funded by The Royal Society, The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, and The Wellcome Trust