The ACE gene is localized on chromosome 17q23 and is characterized by a major insertion/deletion polymorphism consisting of the presence or absence of a 287-base pair Alu repeat sequence within intron 16 (15) . Angiotensin converting enzyme is an ectoenzyme found on the external surface of the endothelial and epithelial cell membranes. It enhances the synthesis of angiotensin-II, that promotes proliferation, migration, and hypertrophy of vascular smooth muscle cells. Angiotensin II also induces the production of proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (16, 17) . Moreover, the increased free radical generation by angiotensin-II contributes to endothelial dysfunction (18, 19) .