Jiayun Liu, Rui Sun, Guomin Gao, Mogen Zhang, Huiping Fan, Xiaonan Ma, Yanhong Yu, Yanmei Yuan, Lulu Zhang, Changying Niu

Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Changying Niu, Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-536-3081272, Email niucy0125@126.com

Objective: The relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) gene polymorphism and psoriasis remains unclear. This study aims to analyze the association between ACE gene I/D polymorphism and the risk of psoriasis vulgaris in the Chinese Han population and to examine the correlation between ACE gene I/D polymorphism and psoriasis with comorbid hypertension and diabetes.
Methods: A total of 358 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 347 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers from the Chinese Han population were selected. Clinical data, including blood pressure and fasting blood glucose, were collected from the patients. The ACE gene I/D polymorphism was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The association between ACE gene I/D polymorphism and psoriasis vulgaris, as well as comorbid hypertension and diabetes, was analyzed using the Pearson χ²-test.
Results: The frequency of the ACE II genotype (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.30, 2.61; P < 0.01) and the I allele (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.22, 1.86; P < 0.01) was significantly higher in psoriasis patients compared to the control group. Conversely, the frequency of the ACE DD genotype (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.44, 0.87; P < 0.01) and the D allele (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.54, 0.82; P < 0.01) was significantly lower in psoriasis patients compared to the control group. No statistically significant differences were observed when stratified by blood pressure and blood glucose abnormalities (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The ACE II genotype and I allele are risk factors for psoriasis vulgaris in the Northern Chinese Han population.

Keywords: psoriasis vulgaris, angiotensin-converting enzyme, insertion/deletion mutation, gene polymorphism, Chinese Han ethnic group