Objective: To investigate the relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion polymorphism and the clinico-pathological manifestations in patients with immunoglobulin nephropathy (IgAN).
Methods: A flanking primer pair and an insertion-specific primer pair were used to perform two polymerase chain reactions so as to analyse the insertion/deletion polymorphism of ACE gene.
Results: There was a significantly higher genotype frequency for DD genotype in IgAN patients. The frequencies for DD genotype were also higher in those patients with hypertension and/or heavy proteinuria and/or severe glomerular sclerosis (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: We observed a significant association of the deletion polymorphism of ACE gene with renal insufficiency, hypertension and severe glomerular lesions at biopsy. The deletion allele may play a role, at least to some extent, in the deterioration and progression in IgA nephropathy.