Haplotypes of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene are associated with coronary artery disease but not with restenosis after coronary stenting.

The aim of the present study was to establish the role of ACE gene polymorphisms in the risk of developing in-stent restenosis and/or coronary artery disease (CAD). Eight ACE gene polymorphisms were genotyped by 5' exonuclease TaqMan genotyping assays in 236 patients with CAD who underwent coronary artery stenting. Basal and procedure coronary angiographies were analyzed searching for angiographic predictors of restenosis and follow-up angiography was analyzed looking for binary restenosis. A group of 455 individuals without clinical and familial antecedents of cardiovascular diseases were included as controls. Haplotypes were constructed after linkage disequilibrium analysis. Distribution of ACE polymorphisms was similar in patients with and without restenosis. Similar results were observed when the analysis was made comparing the whole group of patients (with and without restenosis) and healthy controls. Six out of eight polymorphisms were in high linkage disequilibrium and were included in five haplotypes (AAAGCA, GGGATG, GAGATG, AGAGCA and AAGACA). The distribution of these haplotypes was similar in patients with and without restenosis. However, CAD patients showed an increased frequency of the AAAGCA haplotype (OR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.04-1.66, P=0.018) and decreased frequencies of GAGATG (OR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.25-0.88, P=0.011) and AGAGCA (OR=0.15, 95% CI: 0.02-0.65, P=0.002) haplotypes when compared to healthy controls. Haplotypes of the ACE gene could be a genetic factor related to coronary artery disease in the Mexican individuals, but do not support its role as a risk factor for developing restenosis after coronary stenting.