title: Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in pre-eclamptic pregnancy: evidence for a relative hypermesorACEemia.
abstract: The circadian rhythm of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was investigated in pregnant women with normal and pre-eclamptic gestation. The chronobiological approach was able to document the occurrence of a circadian rhythm for serum ACE activity in normal pregnancy. Such a rhythm is characterized by a decreased mesor and amplitude and a shifted crest. The circadian rhythm for serum ACE activity was not detectable in pre-eclamptic pregnancy. Such an abrogation is accompanied by a negligible decrease of mesor suggesting the occurrence of a relative hyperACEemia. This disorder could play a role in pregnancy-induced hypertension.
authors.affiliation: I Patologia Medica, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cugini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Letizia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Palma
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Battisti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caserta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moscarini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scavo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000097:blood; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood*; D010507:Periodicity; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A