Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism increases the susceptibility of diabetic nephropathy in Western Indian Type 2 diabetic patients

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been associated with the pathogenesis and progression of chronic kidney diseases. Diabetic nephropathy has become leading cause of renal end stage disease (ESRD). An I/D polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been suggested as one of the risk factors for the progression of diabetic nephropathy. We analyzed the genotype and allele frequency distribution of ACE gene in 166 Type 2 diabetic patients without any complication (T2DM), 61 with diabetic nephropathy (DN), 50 with non-diabetic nephropathy (NDN) and 50 healthy individuals from western Indian population. ACE genotype was analyzed by PCR method. The D allele distribution for the ACE I/D polymorphisms was not significantly different between control group and patients with T2DM without any complication (41.0% vs. 45.2%, P = 0.461) and between control subjects and patients with non-diabetic nephropathy (NDN) (41.0% vs. 44.0%, P = 0.668). Frequency of the D allele (63.9% vs. 45.2%, P < 0.001) and DD genotype (I allele noncarrier) (44.3% vs. 25.3%, P = 0.006) of ACE gene was significantly higher in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) than in patients with T2DM without any complication. Results of the present study indicate that ACE gene polymorphism does not have significant influence on development of diabetes mellitus and nondiabetic nephropathy, whereas, the DD polymorphism in ACE gene has been associated with the development of diabetic nephropathy in the Western Indian population.