Association Between ACE Gene I/D Polymorphism and Diabetic Retinopathy in Mexican Population

Background and Aims. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a significant ocular complication. The insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been associated with its development. Objective. To evaluate the relationship between the ACE gene I/D polymorphism and the presence of DR to identify the highest-risk allele. Methods. 79 patients with diabetic retinopathy and 75 healthy controls were studied. Metabolic and anthropometric measurements were performed, and DNA was extracted to identify the polymorphism using C-reactive protein. Fisher's exact test was used for comparative analysis of allele and genotypic frequencies. Results. The I/I genotype was more frequent in patients with DR (43 %) and was associated with a 3.22-fold increased risk of developing the disease ( p = 0.0123). The I allele frequency was 67 % in patients and 56 % in controls, though no significant difference was found ( p = 0.073). Conclusions. The higher frequency of the I/I genotype in patients with DR suggests that this genotype may be a risk factor for developing the disease in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Further studies are recommended to confirm these findings. (c) 2025 Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.