Inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme for diagnosis of renal-artery stenosis.
To determine its utility as an aid in diagnosis of renovascular hypertension, we administered nonapeptide converting-enzyme inhibitor (CEI) (which inhibits conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II) (0.25 mg per kilogram) to 14 unselected hypertensive patients undergoing bilateral renal-vein catheterization. In seven (Group I) predominantly unilateral disease was discovered by angiography (renal-artery stenosis in six and hydronephrosis in one); in the remaining seven (Group II) no rennal-artery abnormality was found. In Group I, mean (+/- S.E.) ratio of involved to uninvolved renal-vein plasma renin activity (PRA) increased from 2.94 +/- 0.91 before to 8.36 +/- 2.94 after CEI (P less than 0.01). In Group II, the ratio (of the initially higher to the lower side) was 1.99 +/- 0.49 before and 1.17 +/- 0.07 after CEI (P greater 0.02). Post-CEI PRA was predicted by pretreatment PRA. Mean blood pressure fell in both groups after CEI, and the decrement was predicted by pre-CEI PRA. These data suggest that CEI can be of use at the time of renal-vein catheterization, serving to increase diagnostic accuracy by increasing the difference in PRA between the two sides when there is unilateral disease.
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002404:Catheterization; D006801:Humans; D006869:Hydronephrosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D012078:Renal Artery Obstruction / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012082:Renal Veins; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D012083:Renin