Measurement of serum angiotensin converting enzyme [SACF] activity in patients with sarcoidosis in Iran

ABSTRACT

Serum angiotensin converting enzyme [SACE] activity was measured in 275 patients suspected of sarcoidosis and compared with 114 normal controls and 30 tuberculosis cases. The mean SACE value, plus or minus the standard deviation [X +/- SD], in the normal control group [108 of 114 cases] was 35.56 +/- 10.5; while in the sarcoidosis group [82 proven cases out of 275] it was 77.76 +/- 21.8. The SACE range in the tuberculosis group [29 proven cases out of 30] was 24.58 +/- 8.35. In 14 patients with sarcoidosis who were treated with steroids or showed spontaneous remission, ACE activity was repeated at an interval of two to 10 months. A reduction of up to 50% of ACE activity was noticed. In 10 cases with normal ACE activity however, with highly suspicious biopsy specimens, follow-up measurements in 2-4 months revealed an increase in ACE activity. Considering that the clinical, paraclinical, and histopathological features of sarcoidosis and tuberculosis are often overlapping, we conclude that the SACE assay can be a valuable aid in distinguishing between the two diseases