Association of ACE Gene Polymorphism with Genetic Susceptibility to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Chinese Population: A Family-based Association Study

JIANHUA XU, YONG WANG, FAMING PAN, JIM STANKOVICH, DONGQING YE, LI LIAN, KECHUN ZHANG, and CHANGHAI DING

ABSTRACT.

Objective. Family-based association analysis was performed to investigate whether the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-G261T and ACE-A592G polymorphisms are risk factors for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a Chinese population.

Methods. A total of 119 patients with SLE from 95 nuclear families, aged from 14 to 78 years, who met the American College of Rheumatology 1997 criteria, were recruited, as were 316 family members of these patients. A family-based association study was used to explore the association between ACE gene polymorphisms (ACE-G261T and ACE-A592G) and SLE. The ACE gene polymorphisms were genotyped with restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction.

Results. Using family-based association tests, the T allele of the ACE-G261T single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was significantly associated with genetic susceptibility to SLE in an additive model (Z = 2.877, p = 0.004), a dominant model (Z = 2.557, p = 0.011), and a recessive model (Z = 2.202, p = 0.028). No association between the ACE-A592G SNP and SLE susceptibility was determined.

Conclusion. The T allele of the ACE-G261T SNP was associated with SLE in this Chinese population. (First Release Oct 15 2007; J Rheumatol 2007;34:2408-11)

Key Indexing Terms:

ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME
SINGLE-NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISM
SUSCEPTIBILITY
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
FAMILY-BASED ASSOCIATION TEST

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From the Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania, Hobart; and The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.

J. Xu, MD, Professor; Y. Wang, MMed; L. Lian, MMed, Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital; F. Pan, PhD; D. Ye, PhD; K. Zhang, MMed, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University; C. Ding, MD, Menzies Research Institute; J. Stankovich, PhD, Menzies Research Institute and The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.

Address reprint requests to Dr. C. Ding, Menzies Research Institute, Private Bag 23, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia. E-mail: changhai.ding@utas.edu.au

Accepted for publication July 24, 2007.

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