Elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in onchocerciasis

Area of Science:

• Tropical medicine
• Parasitology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity is a biomarker for sarcoidosis and other granulomatous diseases.
• Onchocerciasis, a parasitic disease prevalent in Africa and South America, involves granulomatous inflammation around adult worms.
• Elevated serum ACE activity has not been previously reported in onchocerciasis patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and measure serum ACE activity in patients diagnosed with onchocerciasis.
• To determine if serum ACE activity is elevated in individuals with onchocerciasis compared to endemic controls.

Main Methods:

• Serum samples from 42 onchocerciasis patients and 39 endemic controls in Sierra Leone were analyzed for ACE activity.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare ACE levels between patient and control groups.
• Sensitivity and specificity of elevated ACE for detecting onchocerciasis were calculated.

Main Results:

• Mean serum ACE activity was significantly higher in onchocerciasis patients (53.8 U/L) than in controls (35.2 U/L) (p < 0.0001).
• Nine out of 42 patients (21%) exhibited elevated ACE activity, compared to one out of 39 controls (2.6%) (p = 0.01).
• The sensitivity and specificity of elevated ACE for onchocerciasis in this cohort were 21% and 97%, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Serum ACE activity can be elevated in patients with onchocerciasis.
• Clinicians should consider elevated ACE activity in individuals from endemic areas, particularly when evaluating for granulomatous conditions.
• Further research is warranted to understand the implications of elevated ACE in onchocerciasis.