Objective: To investigate the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism and the reducing urinary protein efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) in patients with primary chronic glomerulonephritis in Han nationality of southern Sichuan province.
Methods: Ninety-nine primary glomerulonephritis patients with urinary protein were enrolled in this study. They were treated with benazepril for at least 3 months. The ACE gene insertion/deletion(I/D) polymorphisms in intron 16 were determined by PCR. A comparison of the reducing urinary protein efficacy of benazepril was made between the patients with different ACE genotypes.
Results: Urinary protein excretion was significantly higher in patients with ACE DD genotype than that in patients with II genotype. After benazepril treatment for 3 months, the rates of urinary protein decline were observed. The rates of reduction of proteinuria in patients with DD genotype and ID genotype were obviously higher than that in patients with II genotype(P<0.05).
Conclusion: Benazepril could decline the rate of urinary protein excretion in patients with primary chronic glomerulonephritis, and significant relationship was observed between ACE gene polymorphism and the reducing urinary protein efficacy of ACEI.