Serum Levels of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme in Systemic Lupus Erythematous Patients

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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease that involve many different organs and display a variable clinical course.The prevalence of SLE varies across gender, race/ethnicity, and geographic regions. SLE demonstrates a striking female predominance with a peak incidence of disease during the reproductive years. In adults, the female to male ratio is 10- Renal involvement is common in SLE and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that as many as 90% of patients with SLE will have pathologic evidence of renal involvement on biopsy, but clinically significant nephritis will develop in only 50%. AII is a potent pro-inflammatory modulator with the ability to augment the immune responses in renal and non-renal tissues. Specifically in the kidney, AII stimulates mononuclear cells, favoring hyperplasia and hypertrophy of mesangial, tubular cells and interstitial fibroblasts, and increases expression and synthesis of the extracellular protein matrix leading to fibrosis. Angiotensin II and strong candidate for a mediator of the development and progression of renal disease in SLE has been found to promote glomerular cell proliferation, alter growth factor expression, and activate proinflammatory cytokines, all of which promote glomerulosclerosis

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