REDUCED SERUM ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME-ACTIVITY IN CHILDREN WITHCONGENITAL HYPOTHYROIDISM

In this study levels of serum angiotensin converting enzyme (SACE) wer e evaluated using colorimetric method in 24 children with congenital h ypothyroidism, 28 children from an iodine deficient zone (14 euthyroid , 14 subclinically hypothyroid) and 21 normal children. In the childre n with congenital hypothyroidism SACE levels (28.15+/-6.67 nmol/ml/min ) were significantly lower (p<0.05) than SACE levels in normal childre n (33.87+/-7.00 nmol/ml/min) and in children from an iodine deficient zone (subclinical hypothyroid: 36.05+/-7.88 nmol/ml/min or euthyroid: 39.61+/-6.83 nmol/ml/min). No statistical difference in SACE levels wa s revealed in either normal subjects or children from an iodine defici ent zone. SACE levels among all the groups were not shown to be differ ent in relation to sex. Average TSH levels, as expected, were signific antly higher (p<0.05) in children with congenital hypothyroidism. The correlation between SACE and TSH levels did not demonstrate a statisti cal significance in any of the groups studied. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that levels of SACE were significantly reduced in childr en with congenital hypothyroidism.