Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism is not associated with BMI in Korean adults

PURPOSE: Recent studies have demonstrated a probable association between ACE I/D polymorphism and obesity. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether ACE I/D polymorphism influenced the susceptibly of developing obesity in Korean adults. METHODS: A total of 353 healthy Korean adults aged between 30 and 82 years were recruited, including 157 males and 196 females. Among the participants, 103 (29.2 %) were classified as normal (BMI < 23 kg/m2), 117 (33.1 %) as overweight (23 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m2), and 133 (37.7 %) as obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2). ACE polymorphism (rs1799752) analysis was performed using the MGB TaqMan® SNP Genotyping assay with 3 types of primers and 2 types of probes. The distributions of the ACE genotypes and allele frequencies were analyzed among the three groups using the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, chi-square tests, and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The distribution of the ACE genotypes were as follows: normal [II: n=38 (36.9 %), ID: n=46 (36.8 %), DD: n=19 (18.4 %)], overweight [II: n=43 (36.8 %), ID: n=55 (47.0 %), DD: n=19 (16.2 %)], and obese [II: n=41 (30.8 %), ID: n=76 (57.0 %), DD: n=16 (12.0 %)]. Unexpectedly, the I allele, rather than the D allele, was common in the obese group. CONCLUSION: ACE I/D polymorphism is not associated with BMI in Korean adults. Thus, it is unlikely to be a powerful candidate gene for obesity in Korean adults.