Abstract

BACKGROUND
Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease characterized by nonnecrotizing granulomas involving the lung and hilar lymph nodes. Serum angiotensin converting enzyme (sACE) levelsin patients with sarcoidosis have been implicated as an indicator of granuloma burden.Recently, it has been found that ACE gene insertion/deletion (ID) polymorphism affects sACE levels in healthy individuals. Moreover, reported sACE levels were highest in the deletion/deletion(DD) genotype. Previous studies to investigate the distribution of ACE genotypes accordingto ethnic groups have revealed various results and have caused controversy.
METHODS
Polymerase chain reactions were performed to determine the ACE genotypes in fifteen formalinfixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from patients with sarcoidosis.
RESULTS
The distribution of ACE gene (I/D) polymorphism in patients with sarcoidosis was significantly different from that in normal controls. The DD genotype was more frequent in patients with sarcoidosis than in thenormal controls. The D allele frequency was also higher in patients with sarcoidosis than in thenormal controls. The relative risk of sarcoidosis was higher in DD homozygotes.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested the ACE gene I/D polymorphism may play an important rolein the pathogenesis and progression of sarcoidosis.

• Keywords: Sarcoidosis;Gene;Polymorphism;Angiotensin converting enzyme;Polymerase chain reaction;