Lack of an Association between Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Gene Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism and Ischaemic Stroke

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Numerous factors have been reported to influence the pathogenesis of stroke. The angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) gene is a candidate gene for atherosclerotic-related diseases. In the present study, the association between the polymorphism of the ACE gene and ischaemic stroke was investigated. Methods: Using polymerase chain reaction techniques, 100 patients (48 males, age 69.3 ± 9.7 years) with cerebral infarction and 100 age- and sex-matched controls were divided into the following three ACE genotypes [deletion (D) and insertion (I)]: II, ID and DD. Results: There was no evidence of any association between the ACE gene polymorphism and the presence of ischaemic stroke (odds ratio 0.874, 95% confidence interval 0.386–1.973). Conclusions: The DD genotype in the human ACE gene does not appear to be a risk factor for ischaemic stroke. Further evaluation in a larger population study is required to examine the possibility of an increased risk of ischaemic stroke in DD homozygotes.