ACE, PAI-1, decorin and Werner helicase genes are not associated with the development of renal disease in European patients with Type 1 diabetes

Background. Genetic factors are involved in the development of diabetic nephropathy in Type 1 diabetes. We have examined the association of four candidate genes, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE): insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1): 4G/5G polymorphism, decorin: 179/183/185 polymorphism and Werner syndrome helicase: C/R polymorphism, with the presence of diabetic nephropathy in Type 1 diabetic patients. Methods. 175 Type 1 diabetic patients with albuminuria (59 with microalbuminuria and 116 with macroalbuminuria) were compared with 136 Type 12 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria and duration of disease longer than 15 years (mean ± SD: 25 ± 8 years) 200 non-diabetic subjects were also studied as background population. Results. We found no association in the polymorphism of the four genes examined between patients with and without diabetic nephropathy and the control subjects. Conclusions. The genes studied are unlikely to be involved in the susceptibility to nephropathy in Type 1 diabetic patients.