Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0037116 (silicosis)
 1,822 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In order to verify the value of the determination of serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACEs) in the assessment of silicosis and silicotuberculosis, we studied 105 subjects: 61 suffering from silicosis, 12 from silicotuberculosis, 19 from tuberculosis and 13 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The patients with silicosis and silicotuberculosis were classified into two categories on the basis of the radiological pattern of pneumoconiosis according to the ILO 1980 CLASSIFICATION: mild silicosis (from 1/1 to 2/1) and severe silicosis (from 2/2 to 3+ and/or conglomerate masses). ACEs values were higher in the subjects suffering from silicotuberculosis and silicosis; in the latter, however, we did not find any significant relation between ACEs values and the radiological pattern. The lowest values of ACEs were found in the COPD group. Our data showed a statistically significant difference between silicotic or silicotuberculotic patients and the COPD group (p less than 0.05). It can be supposed that COPD, which was also found in all subjects suffering from silicosis or silicotuberculosis, might have caused an underestimation of the observed ACEs values which, however, were higher than normal. This increase might have been caused by a numerical or functional enhancement of the macrophages, which produce ACE and play an important role in the pathogenesis of such diseases.
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PMID:[The evaluation of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme in silicosis and silicotuberculosis]. 196 97

The serum activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, EC 3.4.15.1) in 135 male silicosis patients was analyzed. Twenty-eight of the patients had referents matched for silica dust exposure and age but without roentgenographic signs of silicosis. A reference group not exposed to silica dust comprised 34 lumberjacks. The serum mean activity of ACE was higher in silicosis patients (46.6 +/- 12.1 units/L) than in the referents exposed to silica (38.5 +/- 8.1 units/L) or in the lumberjacks (36.6 +/- 9.7 units/L). There was an association between the serum ACE level and the roentgenographic severity of fibrosis. A retrospective side-by-side assessment of roentgenographic progression was made in 49 silicosis patients. The ACE was higher in the 18 patients with progression (50.5 +/- 16.4 units/L) than in those with no progression (41.5 +/- 9.5 units/L). According to the multivariate regression analysis, progression of fibrosis explained the elevation of ACE better than profusion. The results confirm that the serum ACE activity is elevated in silicosis and suggest that the elevation is associated with progression of the disease.
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PMID:Increased activity of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme in progressive silicosis. 608 42

Serum angiotensin conversion enzyme (serum ACE) is a dipeptidylcarboxypeptidase which activates angiotensin I to angiotensin II and inactivates bradykinine. It is a glycoprotein with an MW of 126,000 to 480,000. It is produced by all endothelial cells, and is located on the cell membrane. It is inhibited by EDTA (chelator of Zn-- cofactor), teprotide (snake venom nonapeptide) and captopril. Estimation of ACE has greatly benefitted from the use of synthetic tripeptides. An example is the method of Cushman and Cheung using hippuryl histidyl leucine. A raised serum ACE level in sarcoidosis has been demonstrated by Liebermann in 1975. The diagnostic value is limited by the existence of high levels in other pulmonary diseases (asbestosis, silicosis). Serum ACE levels in sarcoidosis are all higher when the disease is diffuse from a pulmonary and extrapulmonary standpoint. They decrease when the disease regresses spontaneously and rise if it worsens. Radiological improvement in pulmonary sarcoid lesions under the influence of corticosteroid therapy is accompanied by a fall in serum ACE levels. Persistence of this normalization as the dose is decreased is a favourable sign, whilst the reappearance of a high serum level may either reflect simple and isolated biological "rebound" or may accompany a recurrence of signs of the disease. Serum ACE measurement is thus an important factor in the surveillance of cases of treated sarcoidosis when the dose of corticosteroids is to be reduced.
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PMID:[Characteristics, assay and semeiologic value of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)]. 618 19

39 years old man with granulomatous lesions in both lungs caused by occupational contact with glass fibers was described. He has been working as an bricklayer-plasterer for 18 years and was in contact with lime, cement, plaster, asbestos, dust of coal and wood and with glass fibers. For the last two years before admission in 1993 he has had frequent bronchial infections. On admission he was in good general condition, his spirometric examination and blood gases were within normal limits. On chest x-ray disseminated lesions were found. Those lesions were of the round shapes on chest CT. Many sputum cultures for tubercle bacilli were negative. ANA and ANCA were not found in the serum. ACE was within normal limits. No precipitins to environmental antigens were found. Cancer metastases were suspected and lung biopsy during videothoracoscopy was done. Many foreign body type granulomas were found throughout the specimen. The character of the lesions was not typical for tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, extrinsic allergic alveolitis, silicosis or asbestosis. There are some reports concerning the possibility of development of such lesions after the exposition to glass fibers. We suspect that case is an example of such pathology. His occupational exposition was stopped in 1993 and he was observed without treatment. During the 5 years of observation (up till 1998) he was in good health with stable chest x-ray picture and results of respiratory system function.
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PMID:[Granulomatous lung lesions after occupational exposure to glass fibers]. 1100 67