ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME GENE POLYMORPHISM INSERTION/DELETION IN NORTH INDIAN INFERTILE MEN

Background: ACE is a membrane bound dipeptidyl carboxy peptidase that generates vasoconstricting angiotensin II and inactivates vasodilating bradykinin. The ace gene encodes two isozymes (sACE) and is found in many tissues including vascular endothelial cells, whereas testis specific isozyme (tACE) is expressed exclusively in developing spermatids and mature sperms. We assessed seminal associations of the ACE gene insertion/deletion polymorphism in infertile men. Materials and Methods: A total of 540 men were investigated, divided into healthy fertile men, and infertile men with azoospermia, asthenozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia Oligo zoospermia, Oligo-astheno zoospermia Oligo-terato zoospermia and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT), respectively. DNA of 221 infertile cases and 319 control subjects was analyzed for the insertion/deletion polymorphisms of ACE using PCR amplification. Results: The ACE gene II, ID, DD genotype frequencies were obtained in 80.54%, 15.75%, 3.16% in cases and 81.19%, 15.98%, 2.82% in healthy controls. ACE D/D genotype was significantly more frequent in cases as compared to controls. Conclusions: ACE gene deletion polymorphism is associated with abnormal seminal parameters, such that carriers of the ACE deletion/deletion genotype might be a genetic risk factor for male infertility.