ACE

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme blood test is used to measure the angiotensin-converting enzyme in your blood. This test helps in diagnosing sarcoidosis.

What is Sarcoidosis?

Sarcoidosis is a type of inflammatory disease which affects multiple organs in the body, mostly the lungs and lymph glands. In the case of sarcoidosis, abnormal masses or nodules which are called granulomas. There will be inflammation of tissues in certain organs of the body. These changes may alter the normal structure and function of the affected organs. The cells present on the border of granulomas produce an increased amount of ACE. The symptoms of sarcoidosis are red and teary eyes, or blurred vision, swollen, painful joints, tender reddish bumps or patches on the skin, enlarged and tender lymph glands in the neck, armpits, and groin, enlarged lymph glands in the chest and around the lungs, hoarse voice, enlarged liver, pain in the hands, feet, or any bony areas due to the formation of cysts in bones, kidney stone formation, nervous system effects like hearing loss, meningitis, seizures, psychiatric disorders like dementia, depression, psychosis, etc. This sarcoidosis is mostly seen in the age groups of 20 to 40 years and more frequent in women than in men.

Why this test is performed?

This test may be recommended to you if you experience symptoms like fever, cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, extreme tiredness, chest pain, sore or stiff joints, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, dry mouth, headache, stiff joints, eyesight problems, skin changes like rashes, sores, hardened spots, etc.

Precautions:

Exposure to chemicals like beryllium, or exposure to tuberculosis, IV drugs, etc may affect your test results. Hence inform your doctor about your present medications and medical condition.

The reference range may vary depending on gender, age, health history, health condition, etc.

If your test results are higher than the normal reference range it may indicate sarcoidosis. Apart from sarcoidosis high levels of ACE in the blood may indicate alcoholic liver disease, primary biliary cirrhosis, hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, lung disease, multiple myeloma, leprosy, amyloidosis, Gaucher disease, etc.