J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  1988 Oct;29(5):847-851.

Relationship of Diabetic Retinopathy and Serum Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme

• Park WC
• Han YB

Abstract

In 1980 Liebennan reported that elevated levels of serum angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) were associated with diabetes mellitus and strongly correlated with the presence of severe retinopathy. Other investigators also suggested that the increased levels of serum ACE might be associated with a widespread microvascular damage. Therefore, the severer diabetic retinopathy can be anticipated the higher serum ACE level. In order to study the relationship between serum ACE levels and severity of diabetic retinopahty, we divided 44 diabetic patients into 4 patients without retinopathy. 21 patients with background retinopathy, 8 patients with preprolifearvie retinopathy, and 11 patients with proliferative retinopathy according to the advancement of retinopathy. The results were as follows: 1. Serum ACE levels of diabetes mellitus patients showed significantly higher than that of nondiabetic controls(21.8 +/- 12.89 vs 14.3 +/- 4.25 U/mL, p<0.05). 2. Serum ACE levels of presence of retinopathy showed significantly higher than that of no retinopathy(23.0 +/- 12.76 vs, 9.7 +/- 7.02 U/mL, p<0.05). 3. Serum ACE levels were significantly elevated in order of preproliferative, background, and no retinopathy(30.3 +/- 17.18, 19.4 +/- 8.75, 9.7 +/- 7.02 U/mL, p<0.05), but serum ACE levels of proliferative retinopathy were not higher than that of background and preproliferative retinopathy. 4. Serum ACE levels were not offectd by age, sex, type of control, required insulin dose and blood sugar level.

MeSH Terms

Angiotensins
Blood Glucose
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetic Retinopathy*
Humans
Insulin
Research Personnel
Angiotensins
Blood Glucose
Insulin