Serum angiotension converting enzyme

Serum levels of angiotension converting enzyme (ACE) are elevated in many patients who suffer from sarcoidosis. Few studies have correlated ACE levels at diagnosis with the radiographic stage of the disease. The present authors reviewed the charts of all patients who had the diagnosis of sarcoidosis made between 1990 and 1995, and correlated ACE level at diagnosis with radiographic stage. Only patients with biopsy-proven sarcoid were included. One hundred and sixteen cases were identified, and complete data were available for 104 individuals...

Chronic consumption of the highly specific angiotension-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril was found to decrease the activity of the enzyme in the rat hypothalamus and striatum and to enhance it in the pituitary and blood serum. The agent also increased the activity of carboxypeptidase N in the serum and that of carboxypeptidase H in the pituitary. Reserpine, a catecholaminergic blocking agent, reduces the pituitary and serum activities of angiotensin-converting enzyme and activates soluble carboxypeptidase H in the pituitary and striatum and membrane-bound carboxypeptidase in the hypothalamus and striatum...

A large multicentre study involving 6003 [3044 males, 2959 females; mean (+/- SD) age 59 +/- 11 years] mild-to-severe hypertensive patients was carried out to evaluate the effects of the angiotension converting enzyme inhibitor quinapril on blood pressure and on metabolic cardiovascular risk factors during 3-6 months' treatment (mean follow-up 90.4 days). The study population included 551 elderly [mean (+/- SD) age 71.9 +/- 9.3 years] patients, 1314 subjects with diabetes mellitus and 154 non-diabetic patients with hyperlipaemia; 4% of patients were lost to follow-up...

The paper provides evidence and results of using new therapeutical treatment of glomerulonephritis, such as pulse-therapy with cyclophosphane, therapy with angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or that with antihyperlipidemic agents. Based on much experience with pulse-therapy with cyclophosphane (over 100 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) and lupus nephritis), it is concluded that this method is highly effective. Treating 57 patients with ACE inhibitors has shown that in CGN these drugs should be used only when taking into account their antihypertensive effect and capacity of lowering intraglomerular hypertension, as evidenced by the renal functional reserve, and diminishing proteinuria...

The primacy of angiotensin II as the mediator of the adrenal's response to sodium restriction is controversial. We administered the oral converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril (SQ 14225), to test whether reduction of angiotension II generation for 26 h in sodium-restricted subjects would lower plasma aldosterone levels to values observed in subjects on a high sodium intake. Accordingly, plasma angiotensin II and aldosterone levels were measured in nine recumbent normal subjects on high (200 meq) and low (10 meq) sodium intakes and low sodium intake with captopril (12...

We investigated changes in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in seven patients with essential hypertension during treatment with captopril (SQ 14225) (300 to 450 mg/day) for 12 months. While blood pressure decreased, the plasma-renin concentration increased to 700 percent of the initial value (6.1 +/- 2.5 ng angiotensin l/ml . h) and angiotensin I increased to about 300 percent of the basal value (179 +/- 32 pg/ml). Converting enzyme inhibition resulted in a 30 percent decrease in plasma angiotension II levels from a basal level of 66 +/- 21 pg/ml...

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The authors studied the parameters of Friedland and Silverstein's technique for measuring the activity of the angiotensin I conversion enzyme and found a number of anomalies. The technique was modified by correcting the wide pH difference between the pH of the reagent and the pH of the reference solution. This modification made the technique optimal for the measurement of the enzyme activity by allowing a 20 to 40 per cent increase in this activity and a 15% increase in the positivity in cases of clinical sarcoidosis...

The polypeptidyc system was studied and serum concentrations of ACE (Angiotension Converting Enzyme) were assayed in patients with Crohn's disease in the active and stabilising phases. The study was undertaken on the assumption that as a granulomatous condition Crohn's disease involves the polypeptidyc system in much the same way as in sarcoidosis. The results confirm the hypothesis revealing a significant increase in ACE levels in patients with the active disease, whereas levels in the stabilized disease were lower than in the controls...

The effects of different dialyzer membranes on serum concentration of angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) and white blood cells during hemodialysis were examined on a cross-over basis in 20 chronically uremic patients. Hemodialysis with cuprophane membranes was associated with a significant (p less than 0.001) fall in the mean leukocyte count during the 1st hour of treatment. The use of polymethylmethacrylate membranes resulted in a more attenuated form of leukopenia and with polyacrylonitrile membranes no change was observed during hemodialysis...

Induction of intravascular coagulation and inhibition of fibrinolysis by injection of thrombin and tranexamic acid (AMCA) in the rat gives rise to pulmonary and renal insufficiency resembling that occurring after trauma or sepsis in man. Injection of Captopril (1 mg/kg), an inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), reduced both pulmonary and renal insufficiency in this rat model. The lung weights were lower and PaO2 was improved in rats given this enzyme-blocking agent. The contents of albumin in the lungs were not changed, indicating that Captopril did not influence the extravasation of protein...

One hundred and fifty two patients with chronic heart failure caused primarily by left ventricular dysfunction were followed prospectively in an open study for a mean period of 21 months. The effects of several clinical variables on subsequent outcome were examined, including the effects of treatment, which was determined by the clinician caring for the patient and was not randomly allocated. In order of importance, frequent ventricular extrasystoles, non-treatment with amiodarone, low mean arterial pressure, and a diagnosis of coronary artery disease were associated with a poor prognosis, with each of these variables providing extra predictive information independently of the others...

This study evaluates the role of different sodium intakes and the role of angiotensin II in the development and the maintenance of renovascular hypertension in rats with constriction of the aorta proximal to the renal arteries. The rats were studied 3 weeks after surgery when the hypertension was well established. Glomerular filtration rate was decreased and filtration fraction was increased in rats with proximal aortic constriction. Low and high salt intakes had no effect on glomerular filtration and filtration fraction...

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme in a patient with type 2 acute neuronopathic Gaucher's disease (242 nmol/min/ml) was 10.8 times higher than values for eight patients with other hereditary neurologic abnormalities (22.5 +/- 2.0) and 9.4 times higher than those for 12 patients with other diseases (25.7 +/- 2.6) (P less than 0.001). Serum lysozyme was not elevated in the patient with type 2 Gaucher's disease. These results indicate that elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme in an infant with neurologic involvement and hepatosplenomegaly is suggestive of the possibility of type 2 Gaucher's disease...

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