II Genotype of the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Gene Increases the Risk for Subarachnoid Hemorrhage From Ruptured Aneurysm

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Abstract
Background and Purpose— Evidence exists in support of a role of genetic factors in susceptibility to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in humans. Meta-analysis of 2 previous studies showed that the I allele of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism was a weak, but significant, risk factor for aneurysmal SAH. Moreover, a recent study has shown that the local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is involved in the development of intracranial aneurysm. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between ACE I/D polymorphism and a risk for aneurysmal SAH in a Polish population. Methods— Ninety patients with aneurysmal SAH (mean age: 48.9±14.0 years) and 128 healthy controls matched for age and sex were genotyped for the ACE I/D polymorphism. Aneurysmal SAH was diagnosed by cranial computed tomography and/or lumbar puncture and digital subtraction angiography. ACE gene polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the intron 16-specific I/D fragments, 490-bp and 190-bp, respectively. Results— The ACE genotype distribution in patients with aneurysmal SAH (II, 52.2%; ID, 15.6%; DD, 32.2%) differed significantly from controls (II, 23.4%; ID, 50.8%; DD, 25.8%) (PConclusion— Here we report that II genotype of ACE gene is a risk factor for aneurysmal SAH.