[Activity of chymotrypsin-like proteinases in patients with ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension and nonspecific aortic arteritis].

AIM: To analyze activity of chymotrypsin-like plasma proteinases (CTP) in patients with various cardiovascular diseases.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: CTP activity was studied in 82 patients with various cardiovascular diseases: 13 coronary heart disease patients with normal arterial pressure, 49 patients with essential hypertension (EH) and secondary arterial hypertension, 20 patients with nonspecific aortic arteritis. 28 donors served control.
RESULTS: CTP activity in plasma of patients with EH rose 4 times compared to donors. If EH patients had concurrent diseases (CHD, chronic pyelonephritis, atherosclerosis of extracranial arteries), CTP activity may increase by 30-300%. In patients with nonspecific aortic arteritis CTP activity in blood plasma is 17.5 times higher than in donors.
CONCLUSION: High CTP activity in cardiovascular patients may be explained by chymase and cathepsin G release into blood flow indicating activation of alternative to ACE pathway of angiotensin II production or the presence of the inflammatory process.