Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in psoriasis.

Conflicting data concerning the presence of enhanced serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (SACE) activity in psoriasis are reported in the literature. In order to verify whether this abnormality is a typical pattern of psoriasis, SACE levels were determined in 27 psoriatics as well as in 18 healthy subjects and in 30 patients with essential hypertension. We found that SACE levels were normal in patients affected by psoriasis independently of the presence or the absence of abnormalities in carbohydrate metabolism. Furthermore, SACE levels were not related to the severity of the skin lesions. We conclude that an elevated SACE activity is not a typical pattern of psoriasis, whereas, when present in a psoriatic, it might suggest the possibility of a coexisting unknown systemic sarcoidosis.