title: Is Serum Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Level Useful For Determining Necroinflammatory Activity In Chronic Hepatitis B Infection?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the findings from liver biopsy and the serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) level to determine whether ACE might serve as a potential noninvasive sign of necroinflammatory activity in patients with Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 54 CHB patients referred for liver biopsy were enrolled in the study. Serum ACE levels were determined photometrically with a kinetic test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hepatitis B virus-deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV-DNA), histological activity index (HAI), and white blood cell counts were higher in patients with severe fibrosis, while albumin levels were low. The serum ACE levels showed a statistically significant correlation with HBV-DNA, HAI score, and ALT-AST levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, a statistically significant relation between serum ACE levels and HAI scores was observed. This represents the first analysis to compare necroinflammation of the liver and serum ACE levels. There may be some explanations that the suppression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) by Angiotensin II and increased inflammatory damage might be a reason for the correlation between HAI and ACE. Serum ACE levels, HBV-DNA levels, and serum transaminase levels might be used together as noninvasive markers for the prediction of necroinflammation in CHB patients.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Education and Research Hospital , Erzurum, Turkey .
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.affiliation: 2 Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ataturk University , Erzurum, Turkey .
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Albayrak
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Pathology, Education and Research Hospital , Erzurum, Turkey .
authors.forename: Sevilay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozmen
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ataturk University , Erzurum, Turkey .
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albayrak
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ataturk University , Erzurum, Turkey .
authors.forename: Kemalettin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood*; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
keywords: chronic hepatitis b infection; necroinflammatory activity; renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis; serum angiotensin-converting enzyme