Association of ACE I/D polymorphism in Tunisian patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Primary cardiomyopathies are multifactorial diseases. Genetic factors other than the causal mutations in the modified genes affect the phenotypic expression of dilated cardiomyopathy. The aim of this study was to determine the association of angiotensin-converting enzyme I/D polymorphism with the risk of dilated cardiomyopathy in a Tunisian population. A total of 76 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy was compared to 151 ethnically, age- and gender-matched controls. The frequencies of the DD genotype and D allele were significantly higher in patients as compared with controls, and were associated with increased risk of dilated cardiomyopathy (ACE DD versus ID and II: OR = 3.05 (95% CI, 1.58-5.87; p = 0.001)); D versus I: OR = 2 (95% CI: 1.35-2.97; p = 0.001)). No association was found between the combined genotypes (DD+ID) or D allele and left ventricular end diastolic diameter in dilated cardiomyopathy patients with severe and moderate clinical phenotypes. DD genotype and D allele of angiotensin-converting enzyme I/D gene polymorphism are associated with increased risk of dilated cardiomyopathy in a Tunisian population but do not influence the cardiac phenotype severity.