Abstract
Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (SACE) activity was significantly higher in 90 patients with sarcoidosis (55 ± [S.D.] 23 nmol min -1 ml -1) than in 80 healthy controls (34±9 nmol min -1 ml -1). Steroid therapy modified SACE activity; 60 sarcoidosis patients who were not being treated with steroids had significantly higher enzyme activities (58±24 nmol min -1 ml -1) than 30 steroid-treated sarcoidosis patients (40±19 nmol min -1 ml -1). In 50% of the non-steroid treated sarcoidosis patients SACE activity was more than 2 S.D. above the mean value for the controls. SACE activity was measured in 22 tuberculous patients (38±14 nmol min -1 ml -1), 20 leprosy patients (34±9 nmol min -1 ml -1), 31 with primary biliary cirrhosis (44±20 nmol min -1 ml -1), 26 with inflammatory bowel disease (31±9 nmol min -1 ml -1), 8 with hepatic granulomatous disease, 5 with Hodgkin's disease, and 2 with schistosomiasis. The combined false-positive rate for these non-sarcoidosis patients was 10%. Serial SACE assays provide useful information on the course of sar- coidosi and response to steroid treatment.
Published Version
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