Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.15.1 (ACE)
 18,300 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The combination of environmental chamber exposure and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was used to study the effects of the common air pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Eighteen healthy nonsmokers were exposed to NO2 during 20 min in an exposure chamber during light bicycle ergometer work. All subjects were examined with BAL at least 3 wks before exposure, as a reference. The subjects were re-examined with BAL, in groups of eight, 24 h after exposure to 4, 7 and 10 mg NO2.m.3 (2.25, 4.0 and 5.5 ppm), respectively. An inflammatory cell response was found after exposure to all concentrations. An increase in the number of lymphocytes in BAL fluid was observed after 7 and 10 mg.m.3 (p less than 0.05 and 0.02, respectively). An increase in the number of mast cells, that appears to be dose-dependent, was found after exposure to all concentrations. The proportion of lysozyme positive alveolar macrophages was elevated after exposure to 7 mg.m.3. The inflammatory mediators fibronectin, hyaluronan, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and beta 2-microglobulin were unchanged by exposure. Due to the findings of inflammatory cell changes far below the peak exposure limits for work places in industrialized countries, 9-18 mg.m.3, the safety of these limits is questioned. Studies are in progress in our laboratory using BAL to evaluate the effects of repeated NO2 exposure.
 ...
PMID:Inflammatory cell response in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after nitrogen dioxide exposure of healthy subjects: a dose-response study. 186 48

The clinical course of sarcoidosis is varying and unpredictable. Once the diagnosis has been made, the clinician needs simple tests to detect and predict remission or progression, to determine whether treatment is effective or not, and to assess the clinical activity of the disease. Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease, but the lungs are almost always involved. Traditionally, the clinical management has therefore included chest X-rays and lung function studies. Extrapulmonary lesions have been followed in different ways. Sensitive and reproducible biochemical tests would be helpful in evaluating the clinical course of patients with sarcoidosis, if they measure functions related to the granulomatous inflammation. This review will deal with measurements of serum and urinary calcium, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. The usefulness of single and serial determinations of lysozyme, angiotensin converting enzyme, beta 2-microglobulin, collagenase, carboxypeptidase and glucuronidase in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and other biological fluids will be discussed.
 ...
PMID:Biochemical markers in sarcoidosis. 302 7

Forty-seven patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis stage II-III, fulfilling clinical indications for starting treatment with corticosteroids, received oral methylprednisolone for 8 weeks in gradually decreasing doses (starting dose 48 mg per day). From week 5 onwards, they also received inhaled budesonide, 1.6 mg daily. Treatment was continued for 18 months and all patients have been followed for at least 3 years. At 18 months treatment could be discontinued in 38 patients, who had used individually adjusted doses of budesonide depending on the clinical response (reduced doses in 14, initial dose in 16, and increased doses in 8 patients). Budesonide treatment alone was satisfactory in 31 of these 38 cases. An additional seven patients could stop treatment after receiving supplementary courses of oral steroids for 3-12 months. Treatment is ongoing in 9 patients in which 6 have extrapulmonary manifestations requiring oral steroids. The chest radiograph became normal in 22 patients and improved in 14. Significant improvements were noted in FVC and DLco in relation to predicted normal values. Serum ACE, lysozyme and beta 2-microglobulin values decreased significantly. Transient cough was seen in 5 and hoarseness in 3 patients. No systemic side-effects were noted; one patient taking 2.4 mg budesonide daily had a plasma cortisol value below the normal range. Inhaled budesonide seems to offer an effective and safe alternative to oral steroids for long-term maintenance treatment of patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.
 ...
PMID:Inhaled budesonide for maintenance treatment of pulmonary sarcoidosis. 780 97

The clinical laboratory has a significant role in sarcoidosis. We summarized the biochemical data of laboratory tests in serum of patients with sarcoidosis. To clarify their importance, we put emphasis on the following aspects, including: 1. The data reflecting pathophysiology of sarcoidosis, such as angiotensin converting enzyme, lysozyme, adenosine deaminase, beta 2-microglobulin and intercellular adhesion molecule-1, 2. The data resulting from organ involvement, such as amylase, LDH, and Ca, 3. The data serving as an indicator of disease activity, 4. The data related to prognostic outcome, Keeping these differences in mind helps us make the best use of the clinical data of sarcoidosis.
 ...
PMID:[The significance of biochemical data of patients with sarcoidosis]. 791 76

The patient was a 24-year-old female complaining of bell-shaped chest and back pain with visual disturbance. Chest X-ray showed bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy without the presence of pleural effusion. Bronchoalveolar fluid showed lymphocytosis with an elevated CD 4/CD 8 ratio. Transbronchial lung biopsy demonstrated a non-caserous granulomatous lesion with an accumulation of epitheloid cells, suggesting lung sarcoidosis. No abnormality of electrocardiogram was detectable, and spinal tap for examination of chest and back pain demonstrated on elevated level of beta 2-microglobulin, and a normal angiotensin converting enzyme level. Spinal MRI showed a lineal lesion mimicking syringomyelia on T 2-weighted image. Steroid administration was started for the chest and back pain, since the spinal lesion was suspected due to spinal sarcoidosis. All clinical and laboratory findings, without the presence of pleural effusion or cardiac fluid, supported the diagnosis of spinal sarcoidosis causing chest and back pain. In the literature, patients with spinal sarcoidosis manifesting chest and back pain and with a MRI finding mimicking syringomyelia have been rarely reported. This case might be important in considering spinal cord sarcoidosis as a differential diagnosis of chest and back pain.
 ...
PMID:[A case of spinal sarcoidosis complaining of chest and back pain as a first manifestation and mimicking syringomyelia on MRI]. 1199 63