Abstract

Gene polymorphisms of components of the renin-angiotensin system, angiotensinogen, angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT-1), have been considered to contribute to inherited predisposition towards coronary artery disease (CAD). The best analyzed is the insertion / deletion (I / D) gene polymorphism of the ACE gene. Several studies suggest that the ACE D allele is associated with the occurrence of CAD and myocardial infarction. Moreover, the I / D polymorphism of the ACE gene has been thought to be related to diverse responses to drugs. Modern gene technologies may therefore provide the information, which may help to identify disease-associated genes and determine the responsiveness to a given drug.

Keywords: renin-angiotensin system, pharmacogenomics, single nucleotide polymorphism, coronary artery disease, therapy