Scarring and collagen deposition in the valves and destruction of myocytes may result from the combined effects of a smoldering rheumatic process and a constant trauma to the mitral valve or aortic valve by the turbulent flow in rheumatic heart disease (RHD). It has been suggested that angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) may be responsible for the increased valvular fibrosis and calcification in the pathogenesis of RHD. However, the role of ACE genetic variant in RHD has not been studied among the Chinese population in Taiwan. Hence, a case-controlled study was carried out to investigate the possible relationship between the ACE gene insertion/deletion (I/D) and G2350A polymorphisms and RHD. A group of 115 patients with RHD documented by echocardiography and 100 age- and sex-matched normal control subjects were studied. ACE gene I/D and G2350A polymorphisms were identified by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction analysis. There was a significant difference in the distribution of ACE I/D genotypes (P = 0.02) and allelic frequencies (P = 0.04) between RHD cases and normal controls. An odds ratio for the risk of RHD associated with the ACE I/D II genotype was 2.12 (95% CI, 1.21-3.71). An odds ratio for the risk of RHD associated with the ACE I allele was 1.50 (95% CI, 1.02-2.21). The ACE G2350A polymorphism showed no association with RHD (P = 0.90). Further categorization of RHD patients into mitral valve disease and combined valve disease subgroups revealed no statistical difference in these gene polymorphisms when compared between the two subgroups. This study shows that patients with RHD have a higher frequency of ACE II genotype and I allele, which supports a role for ACE I/D gene polymorphisms in determining the risk of RHD in Taiwan Chinese.
