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Association study of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene (ACE2) polymorphisms and essential hypertension in northern Han Chinese

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 20, pages 968–971 (2006)Cite this article

Essential hypertension (EH), a complex disease, is an important worldwide public-health challenge and is considered to be caused by the interaction of genetic determinants and environmental factors. 1

The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) continues to be the focus of substantial research efforts because of its powerful role in both blood pressure (BP) regulation and sodium and volume homoeostasis.2 Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a new member of the RAS, can convert angiotensin I (Ang I) into angiotensin 1–9, which can be further converted to the vasodilator angiotensin 1–7 (Ang 1–7) by ACE or other peptidases. ACE2 can also directly convert angiotensin II (Ang II), a powerful vasoconstrictor, to Ang 1–7. Thereby, ACE2 may counteract the function of ACE by converting Ang II into Ang 1–7 or by competing with ACE for the same substrate Ang I,3 implicating that ACE2 may potentially be cardio- and reno-protective for hypertension.

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Author notes

  1. W Huang and W Yang: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioinformatics Laboratory and National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    W Huang & R Chen

  2. Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    W Huang

  3. National Human Genome Center at Beijing, China

    W Huang, W Yang, Y Wang & Q Zhao

  4. Division of Population Genetics and Prevention, Cardiovascular Institute and Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China

    W Yang, Y Wang, Q Zhao & D Gu

Authors
  1. W Huang
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  2. W Yang
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  3. Y Wang
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  4. Q Zhao
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  5. D Gu
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  6. R Chen
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Correspondence to D Gu or R Chen.

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Huang, W., Yang, W., Wang, Y. et al. Association study of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene (ACE2) polymorphisms and essential hypertension in northern Han Chinese. J Hum Hypertens 20, 968–971 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002090

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