Angiotensinogen and angiotensin converting enzyme genotypes and carotid atherosclerosis: The atherosclerosis risk in communities and the NHLBI family heart studies

  • Donna K. Arnett
  • , Ingrid B. Borecki
  • , Erwin H. Ludwig
  • , James S. Pankow
  • , Richard Myers
  • , Greg Evans
  • , Aaron R. Folsom
  • , Gerardo Heiss
  • , Millicent Higgins

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Polymorphisms of the renin-angiotensin system are associated with cardiovascular pathology. Therefore, the association of the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene and the T235 (methionine to threonine substitution) polymorphism of the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene with intima-media thickness of the carotid artery was investigated. Methods and results: Subjects were randomly selected from two centers participating in both the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) and NHLBI Family Heart Studies. Probands were 45-64 years of age who were free of cardiovascular disease and had B-mode ultrasound measured carotid intima-media thickness. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction amplification was used to evaluate the ACE I/D and AGT T235 polymorphisms: genotype information was available on 495 and 475 participants, respectively. The frequencies of the ACE D and AGT T alleles were 0.56 and 0.52, respectively; 30% were homozygous for the ACE D allele, and 29% were homozygous for the AGT T allele. After adjustment for systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication use, diabetes, age, sex and LDL cholesterol, the mean intima-media thickness was 0.729, 0.732 and 0.721 mm in the ACE DD, ID, and II genotypes, respectively (partial F test 1.53, P = 0.22), and 0.727, 0.732 and 0.724 mm in the AGT MM, MT, and TT genotypes, respectively (partial F test 0.91, P = 0.40). Combining the genotypes for ACE and AGT, there were also no differences in intima-media thickness across the eight joint genotypes. Conclusion: We found no evidence that the ACE I/D and AGT T235 polymorphisms of the renin-angiotensin system were associated with carotid intima-media thickness in this population-based sample of middle- aged adults with no history of cardiovascular disease. The lack of an association between these variants and intima-media thickness may indicate that early atherosclerosis is mediated by factors other than these RAS polymorphisms.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)111-116
Number of pages6
JournalAtherosclerosis
Volume138
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1998

Keywords

  • Angiotensin
  • Angiotensinogen
  • Converting enzymes
  • Intima-media thickness
  • Polymorphism
  • Ultrasound

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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