Association of Variants Near the Bradykinin Receptor B2 Gene With Angioedema in Patients Taking ACE Inhibitors

Disease areas:

• heart and blood vessels

Last updated:

2 July 2025

Author(s):

Jonas Ghouse, Gustav Ahlberg, Laura Andreasen, Karina Banasik, Søren Brunak, Michael Schwinn, Ina Holst Larsen, Oscar Petersen, Erik Sørensen, Henrik Ullum, Eva Rye Rasmussen, Niclas Eriksson, Pär Hallberg, Mia Wadelius, Henning Bundgaard, Morten S Olesen

Publish date:

1 August 2021

Journal:

Journal of the American College of Cardiology

PubMed ID:

34384552

DOI:

10.1016/j.jacc.2021.05.054

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Angioedema is a rare but potentially life-threatening adverse reaction associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Identification of potential genetic factors related to this adverse event may help identify at-risk patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify genetic factors associated with ACE inhibitor-associated angioedema.

METHODS: A genomewide association study involving patients of European descent, all taking ACE inhibitors, was conducted in a discovery cohort (Copenhagen Hospital Biobank), and associations were confirmed in a replication cohort (Swedegene). Cases were defined as subjects with angioedema events and filled prescriptions for ACE inhibitors ≤180 days before the events. Control subjects were defined as those with continuous treatment with ACE inhibitors without any history of angioedema. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for angioedema risk using logistic mixed model regression analysis. Summary statistics from the discovery and replication cohorts were analyzed using a fixed-effects meta-analysis model.

RESULTS: The discovery cohort consisted of 462 cases and 53,391 ACE inhibitor-treated control subjects. The replication cohort consisted of 142 cases and 1,345 ACE inhibitor-treated control subjects. In the discovery cohort, 1 locus, residing at chromosome 14q32.2, was identified that associated with angioedema at the genomewide significance level of P <5 × 10^-8. The lead variant at this locus, rs34485356, is an intergenic variant located 60 kb upstream of BDKRB2 (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.38 to 1.90; P = 4.3 × 10^-9). This variant was validated in our replication cohort with a similar direction and effect size (OR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.13 to 2.25; P = 7.2 × 10^-3). We found that carriers of the risk allele had significantly lower systolic (-0.46 mm Hg per T allele; 95% CI: -0.83 to -0.10; P = 0.013) and diastolic (-0.26 mm Hg per T allele; 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.05; P = 0.013) blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS: In this genomewide association study involving individuals treated with ACE inhibitors, we found that common variants located in close proximity to the bradykinin receptor B₂ gene were associated with increased risk for ACE inhibitor-related angioedema.