Diabetes Care, Vol 21, Issue 3 431-437, Copyright © 1998 by American Diabetes Association
Angiotensinogen T235 and ACE insertion/deletion polymorphisms associated with albuminuria in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients
RP Young, JC Chan, JA Critchley, E Poon, G Nicholls and CS Cockram
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong.
OBJECTIVE: Genetic polymorphisms of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) have
been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic proteinuria. Ethnic
differences in the frequencies of these genotypes have also been reported.
To date, most of these studies have been performed in white and Japanese
populations. In this study, we examined the associations between
albuminuria and RAS genetic polymorphisms in Chinese patients with type 2
diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a case-control study, the ACE
insertion/deletion (I/D) gene, the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene (M235T), and
the angiotensin II (AII) type 1 receptor gene (AT1 A1166C) were examined in
110 Chinese type 2 diabetic patients. Increased urinary albumin excretion
(UAE) was defined as > or = 30 mg/day on at least two occasions during a
6-week study period. RESULTS: Compared with whites, there were high
frequencies of the AGT TT genotype in Chinese control subjects (120/183 =
70%) and type 2 diabetic patients (74/110 = 67%). The frequencies of the MM
genotype were 5 and 3%, respectively, and those of the ACE DD genotype were
13 and 10%, respectively. Although 9% of subjects carried the C allele, the
AT1 CC genotype was not found in either group. Chinese type 2 diabetic
patients with increased albuminuria (n = 56) had higher systolic blood
pressure (160 +/- 26 mmHg vs 145 +/- 27 mmHg, P < 0.001) than the
normoalbuminuric patients (n = 54). Both the AGT TT genotype (78.6% [44/56]
vs. 55.6% [30/54], odds ratio [OR]: 3.0 [1.3-6.8]) and the T allele (88%
[99/112] vs. 77% [83/108], OR: 2.5 [1.3-5.4]) were associated with an
increased risk of albuminuria. Patients with the AGT TT genotype (n = 74)
had higher 24-h UAE than those with the MT or MM genotypes (n = 36)
(median: 37.8 mg/day vs. 17.8 mg/day, P < 0.01). This association
remained significant in patients with normotension (56 mg/day [n = 19] for
patients with the TT genotype vs. 22 mg/day [n = 14] for those with the
MT/MM genotype, P = 0.03). The D allele carriers (DD or DI, n = 61) had
higher serum ACE activities (75.5 +/- 29 U/l vs. 60.5 +/- 36.3 U/l, P <
0.01) than the noncarriers (II genotype). The median 24-h UAE also tended
to be higher in the D allele carriers (38.9 mg/day vs. 21.4 mg/day, P =
0.07). The lowest UAE was observed in patients with the MM/MT/II genotype
(16.3 mg/day [n = 18]) and the highest, in patients with the TT/DD/DI
genotype (52.3 mg/day [n = 43]). No association was found between the TT
genotype or D allele and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: The high frequencies of
the TT genotype and T allele in Chinese populations may contribute to the
high prevalence of albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. The
possibility of synergism between the AGT TT genotype and the ACE D allele
should also be explored.