DD ACE gene polymorphism is associated with increased coronary artery endothelial dysfunction: the PREFACE trial.

Endothelial dysfunction is an early event in atherogenesis and is associated with the propensity to cause future cardiovascular events. The amelioration of endothelial dysfunction has been a research target for some years now, and success has been reported with, for example, the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors. Research has also identified the homozygous deletion (DD) subset of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) insertion(I)/deletion(D) polymorphism to be associated with deteriorated endothelial function. The results, however, are conflicting. In a substudy of the PREFACE (pravastatin-related effects following angioplasty on coronary endothelium) trial we assessed ACE polymorphism, coronary endothelial function, and the influence of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor pravastatin.