Role of genetic variability in the renin-angiotensin system in diabetic and nondiabetic renal disease

Studies on genetic variability in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) provide intriguing data that support its possible relevance to renal pathophysiology. However, from the discrepancies between different studies it is clear that RAS polymorphisms do not provide simple markers for renal prognosis or therapy response. Rather than attempting to force a conclusion from the available discrepancies, we should attempt to develop strategies from the current state of knowledge to attack this complex issue from different angles. Unraveling their functional impact in renal pathophysiology can provide a framework for understanding that can guide further studies with the eventual purpose of improving the prognosis of renal patients. Clinical association studies should be large and prospective, to obtain the necessary robustness, with proper attention paid to the role of contextual factors. Moreover, studies elucidating the physiologic mechanisms of the genetic determinants of the disease phenotype are of prime importance. Such information is vital, not only to make sense of observed associations, but all the more so if one wants to apply the insights on the role of genetic factors into better strategies for disease intervention. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.