title: [Study on levels of angiotensin converting enzyme and C-reactive protein in peripheral blood of mitral valve replacement preoperative patients with atrial fibrillation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the levels of angiotensin converting enzyme and C-reactive protein in the peripheral blood of mitral valve replacement preoperative patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  METHODS
  24 atrial fibrillation patients, who were hospitalized for mitral valve replacement surgery, as study group (AF group) and 23 sinus rhythm patients as control group (SR group) were included in this study. The angiotensin converting enzyme and C-reactive protein in peripheral blood were quantified and compared in an attempt to find out whether the significant difference existed between the AF and SR groups. All patients undertook ultrasonic cardiography before operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in C-reactive protein between two groups (P > 0.05). The quantity of angiotensin converting enzyme in patients with AF was higher than that in patients with SR, which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). And also the left atrial dimension had a linear correlation with angiotensin converting enzyme. The obvious relation between angiotensin converting enzyme and left atrial dimension was seen in AF patients who need mitral valve replacement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that the increase of the quantity of angiotensin converting enzyme in peripheral blood has relationship with atrial fibrillation of patients who need mitral valve replacement, and more research on the relations between AF and angiotensin converting enzyme would be needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan.
authors.forename: Yong-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Xi-jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Tong-xing
authors.initials: TX
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Huan-zhang
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Sao
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A