muramidase and Asbestosis

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was studied in healthy controls, in 57 untreated sarcoidosis patients, and in 164 patients with other chest or lymph node diseases. The serum ACE activity of healthy persons was independent of sex, intake of meals, and smoking habits. There were no diurnal variations. Healthy children had a significantly higher ACE mean value than adults, whose ACE activity was not affected by age. The sarcoidosis patients had the highest ACE mean values, but those of patients with silicosis and asbestosis were also significantly elevated. Pulmonary cancer patients had decreased serum ACE activity, which was probably due to antimitotic treatment. Serum lysozyme (LZM) concentrations did not correlate with normal ACE activity, but the correlation between elevated ACE and LZM was significant in sarcoidosis and silicosis, and the trend was clearly the same for asbestosis. This indicates separate sources for these enzymes when ACE activity is normal, and a common source, i.e. macrophages, when ACE activity is increased. ACE production in certain diseases involving macrophages may be due to the bradykinin inhibiting effect of this enzyme.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic; Asbestosis; Bronchitis; Female; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Lung Diseases; Lung Neoplasms; Lymphatic Diseases; Lymphoma; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; Pneumonia; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Sarcoidosis; Silicosis; Thoracic Neoplasms; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and lysozyme (LZM) concentration in 22 silicosis and 18 asbestosis patients were studied. These patients were compared with 57 untreated and 36 treated sarcoidosis patients. In all groups significantly raised ACE and LZM mean values were noted. Untreated sarcoidosis patients had the highest values. Raised ACE activity in silicosis and asbestosis has not been reported before, and weakens the differential diagnostic value of this enzyme determination for sarcoidosis. The similar patterns of increased ACE and LZM mean values in all three diseases suggest that these enzymes have a common source.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Asbestosis; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Lung Diseases; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; Sarcoidosis; Silicosis