Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme in multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the extent and significance of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) elevation in multiple sclerosis (MS) and the correlation between serum ACE activity and clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicators of disease activity.


METHODS
A retrospective cross-sectional study of 45 consecutive patients with clinically definite MS and a longitudinal study of 30 additional patients with clinically definite MS involved in a long-term study of neurologic function and MRI in MS.


METHODS
Comprehensive MS center of a tertiary care university hospital.


METHODS
A total of 75 patients with clinically definite MS and 31 healthy controls.


METHODS
Serum ACE activity was measured using a spectrophotometric assay and correlated with clinical indicators of disease activity and with total cerebral MS lesion volume measured by MRI.


RESULTS
An elevated ACE activity was found in 17 (23%) of 75 patients with MS as compared with 2 (6%) of 31 healthy controls. Changes in serum ACE activity correlated with changes in total plaque volume on MRI.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum ACE activity may be an indicator of disease activity in longitudinal analysis. Also, elevated ACE activity in a patient with otherwise typical MS need not raise suspicions of alternative diagnoses.
Constantinescu
C S
CS
Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-4283, USA.
Goodman
D B
DB
Grossman
R I
RI
Mannon
L J
LJ
Cohen
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology*; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A