Measurement of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Activity in Intact Human Alveolar Macrophages and Effect of Smoking
- 1 January 1988
- journal article
- research article
- Published by S. Karger AG in Respiration
- Vol. 53 (3) , 153-157
- https://doi.org/10.1159/000195408
Abstract
Serum angiotensin-converting enzmye (ACE) activity is known to be elevated in various granulomatous conditions such as sarcoidosis, whose characteristic epithelioid cells are thought to belong to the macrophage series. It was recently shown that alveolar macrophages had ACE activity in their sonicated and homogenate forms. We investigated ACE activity of human alveolar macrophages in the intact form using a sensitive radioimmunoassay of generated angiotensin II. We also investigated the effect of smoking on ACE activity of alveolar macrophages using this method. Alveolar macrophages generated angiotensin II (218 ± 106 pg/20 min/105 cells). More angiotensin II was generated in smokers (246 ± 119 pg/20 min/105 cells) than in nonsmokers (160 ± 50 pg/20 min/105 cells) (p < 0.05). These data showed that ACE activity of macrophages is higher in smokers than nonsmokers.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Elevation of Serum Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme in Gaucher's DiseaseNew England Journal of Medicine, 1976