Analysis of Common Polymorphisms in Angiotensin-converting Enzyme and Apolipoprotein E Genes and Human Longevity in Colombia

Forero, Diego A.; Pinzón, Jorge; Arboleda, Gonzalo H.; Yunis, Juan J.; Alvarez, Claudia; Cataño, Nohra; Arboleda, Humberto

doi:10.1016/j.arcmed.2006.04.001

« Previous Next »Archives of Medical Research
Volume 37, Issue 7 , Pages 890-894, October 2006

Analysis of Common Polymorphisms in Angiotensin-converting Enzyme and Apolipoprotein E Genes and Human Longevity in Colombia

Diego A. Forero
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina e Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- Applied Molecular Genomics Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
Jorge Pinzón
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina e Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
Gonzalo H. Arboleda
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina e Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- Departamento de Patología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
Juan J. Yunis
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina e Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- Departamento de Patología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
Claudia Alvarez
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina e Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
Nohra Cataño
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina e Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- Departamento de Cuidado y Practica, Facultad de Enfermería, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
Humberto Arboleda
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina e Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- Address reprint requests to: Dr. Humberto Arboleda, Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia

Received 11 January 2006; accepted 7 April 2006.

(ARCMED-D-06-00018)

Background

Genetic analysis of human longevity may be useful for the understanding of molecular mechanisms implicated in age-related diseases. The molecular genetics of human longevity is largely unexplored in Latin American populations and other developing countries.

Methods

To explore the possibility of an association of common polymorphisms in two candidate genes and longevity in Colombia, we analyzed two polymorphisms in apolipoprotein E (APOE) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genes in a sample of 538 Colombian subjects (18–106 years), using previoulsy validated PCR-based methodologies.

Results

We found a significant decrease in ACE DD genotype (24 vs. 16%) between young and old subject groups (mean age: 45 vs. 77 years) (p = 0.03). The ACE DD genotype and D allele decrease was significant only in women. There were no differences for APOE polymorphism between young and old subjects.

Conclusions

Our results are compatible with the expected age-related decrease of ACE DD genotype. Future studies examining functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ACE gene and its correlation with serum ACE activity in the older subjects and their younger relatives in this sample are warranted.

Key Words: Longevity, Aging, Genetic polymorphisms, Colombia