title: The changes of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension due to congenital heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a primary component of the vasoprotective axis in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), has recently been found to have regulatory actions in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension. We explored the hypothesis that the level of ACE2 protein contents may be decreased in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) due to congenital heart disease (CHD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We observed the serum ACE2 protein contents in patients with PAH due to CHD (CHD-PAH), and investigated their correlation with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and four patients with CHD and 33 normal control patients (group A) were involved in the research. The patients with CHD were divided into 55 cases of nonpulmonary hypertension (group B), 25 cases of mild to moderate pulmonary hypertension (group C) and 24 cases of severe pulmonary hypertension (group D). The serum level of ACE2 protein contents were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the relationship between these contents and mPAP were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ACE2 protein contents significantly declined as mPAP increased. The mPAP was negatively correlated with the level of ACE2 protein contents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrated that ACE2 may play an important regulatory role in CHD-PAH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yan'an Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cardiovascular Hospital, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Hai-long
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xue-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Guang
authors.forename: Zhi-cheng
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; D062186:Arterial Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D065627:Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; C000705307:ACE2 protein, human; D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2