Serum Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme in Patients Suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and Healthy Controls: a Pilot Study

Considering that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), while information on the levels of this enzyme in biological liquids is rather limited, the ACE levels in blood serum of 30 patients with clinically diagnosed MS and 30 healthy individuals of comparable ages were measured using an enzymatic method (Biorexfars Chemical kits). Mean serum ACE levels in patients and controls were 45.97 ± 18.95 and 44.40 ± 11.04 IU/l (means ± s.d.), respectively, and these values did not differ from each other significantly (P = 0.70). In four patients and one control subject, the ACE levels exceeded the normal range (8 to 65 IU/l). There were no significant gender-related differences in the ACE levels in both examined groups.