Serum and lymph-node collagenase in sarcoidosis. Comparison with angiotensin-converting enzyme.
Serum collagenase was significantly elevated in stage II, but not stage I sarcoidosis, in contrast to elevation of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme in stages I and II. Neither serum collagenase nor angiotensin-converting enzyme was elevated in active tuberculosis. Elevated serum collagenase and angiotensin-converting enzyme levels were decreased with steroid therapy. Serum collagenase and angiotensin-converting enzyme were significantly correlated but did not vary identically. Collagenase was not elevated in lymph nodes in sarcoidosis, in contrast to marked elevation of angiotensin-converting enzyme. The results suggest that serum angiotensin-converting enzyme is a more sensitive index of sarcoidosis activity than serum collagenase, which may have an ancillary role in assessment of the disease.
D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000201:enzymology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000201:enzymology*; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000201:enzymology; D003012:Microbial Collagenase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000201:enzymology
D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; D003012:Microbial Collagenase