Association between angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism and pancreatitis risk: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: Many studies have focused on the relationship between the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and pancreatitis risk, but the results remain inconsistent. Thus, a meta-analysis was carried out to derive a more precise estimation of the association between ACE I/D polymorphism and pancreatitis risk. METHODS: Relevant publications were searched in several widely used databases and seven studies from six eligible articles were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the strength of the association between ACE I/D polymorphism and pancreatitis risk. RESULTS: Significant associations between ACE I/D polymorphism and pancreatitis risk were observed in both overall meta-analysis for DI versus II (OR=0.80, 95% CI=0.67-0.96) and DD + DI versus II (OR=0.83, 95% CI=0.70-0.98), and acute pancreatitis subgroup for DI versus II (OR=0.65, 95% CI=0.44-0.95). However, no significant pancreatitis risk variation was detected for all genetic models in the subgroup meta-analysis based on ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of our meta-analysis, the ACE I/D polymorphism probably associates with pancreatitis risk, especially acute pancreatitis risk, with the I allele acting as a risk factor.