Genetic Basis of Type 2 Diabetes Via the Gene Coding for Angiotensin-converting Enzyme

Back Ground: Diabetes is a metabolic disease most often associated with complications when the biological parameters are uncontrolled, so management of diabetes remains a challenge in Africa. The increasement of this disease is associated with the ageing population, economic development, increasing urbanization, a less healthy diet and decreased physical activity.

Objective: The aim of this study was to find a relationship between the polymorphism of the gene encoding for angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Gabonese subjects.

Method and Materials: This study was carried out in the laboratory of the Research Unit of the University of Health Sciences. The study population consisted of 225 subjects. This panel was composed of 88 controls (normoglycemic and non-hypertensive and not having a family history of diabetes) and 137 type 2 diabetic individuals. The genotypic analysis of the ACE gene of the different subjects was carried out by the technique of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Categorical and continuous variables were compared between diabetic patients and controls using the Chi-square test (X2) for categorical and the ANOVA test for continuous.

Results: The distribution of DD, ID, and II genotypes in controls and diabetics was 63.6%, 33%; 3.4% respectively and 65.7%; 31.4%; 2.9%. In addition, the allelic distribution showed that the alleles I and D in the controls and the diabetic subjects had proportions of 19.9%; 80.1% vs. 18.6%; 81.4% respectively. The genotypic and allelic differences between the two groups were not significant (p = 0.78).

Discussion and Conclusion: Therefore the allele D would not be the factor involving the I/D polymorphism in the occurrence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the Gabonese population. Plasma ACE activity in diabetic patients, as well as analysis of other genes may be related to the onset of the disease in order to highlight a genetic relationship linked to the occurrence of the pathology which can lead to better management of the patients and especially a new clinical approach for an effective diagnosis of diabetics.