Elevated angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) in patients with essential hypertension.

We investigated the alteration of the ACE in different parts of the circulation in 21 patients with essential hypertension, who suffered from angina pectoris attacks. Blood samples were taken during diagnostic cardiac catheterisation. The ACE was fluorimetrically measured and compared to 48 normotensive patients. In 11 patients the Plasma Renin Activity (PRA) was additionally determined by means of bioassay. The ACE was significantly (p less than 0.001) elevated in all investigated regions but a different distribution was not observed. We found a positive correlation between the ACE from the left ventricle and the systolic, mean arterial and diastolic blood pressure. Furthermore, we observed a negative correlation between ACE and PRA. No relationship could be calculated between ACE and electrolytes, creatinine or haemodynamic parameters. Our results indicate that the ACE may contribute to the pathogenesis of so-called essential hypertension.