Angiotensin-converting-enzyme(ACE) in Crohn's disease.

: Serum concentration of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) were measured in 34 patients with Crohn's disease. ACE was decreased in Crohn's disease compared with healthy controls. Significant negative regression between ACE and CDAI was observed. It suggested intestinal ACE may play a regulatory role in intestinal inflammation of Crohn's disease. Among the patients, ACE did not show the significant change by use of prednisolone nor by location of disease. The mechanism of ACE decrease in Crohn's disease was not known, but this phenomena may be one of the reason of persistent inflammation of Crohn's disease.