A meta-analysis of the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion gene polymorphism and end-stage renal disease risk in IgA nephropathy patients.

Objective: The association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) gene polymorphism and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) risk in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients is still controversial. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the association between ACE I/D gene polymorphism and ESRD susceptibility in IgAN patients.

Methods: A predefined literature search and selection of eligible relevant studies were performed to collect data from electronic databases.

Results: Thirteen articles were identified for the analysis of the association between ACE I/D gene polymorphism and ESRD risk in IgAN patients. D allele and DD genotype were associated with ESRD susceptibility in IgAN patients for overall populations (p=0.01 and 0.003, respectively). In Asians, there was a markedly positive association between DD genotype and ESRD susceptibility (p=0.03). Furthermore, D allele and DD genotype were associated with ESRD susceptibility in Caucasians (p=0.02 and 0.03, respectively). However, II genotype might not play a protective role against ESRD onset for overall populations, Asians and Caucasians.

Conclusions: DD homozygote is a significant genetic molecular marker for the onset of ESRD in IgAN patients.