Role of angiotensin-converting enzyme as prognostic marker in thoracic trauma: A prospective observational study

BACKGROUND: Chest injuries, accounting for 25% of all trauma-related deaths, are one of the main causes of death in young
adults. Our priority is the early identification of life-threatening injuries both immediate and delayed. The role of various biomarkers,
such as Clara cell protein 16, von Willebrand factor, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor, and angiopoietin, has been studied in
trauma-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) levels have been studied
in non-trauma-related ARDS. The aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the role of ACE levels as a prognostic
marker in thoracic trauma.
METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted to evaluate serum ACE levels in thoracic trauma patients and to
explore its prognostic potential with regard to clinical outcome. A total of 48 thoracic trauma patients were included in the study.
RESULTS: The mean ACE level in the study population was 66.54±11.18. A strong positive correlation was found among serum ACE
levels and Thoracic Trauma Severity Score (TTSS).
CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that serum ACE levels are increased in thoracic trauma patients with higher levels, indicating
the severe nature of trauma in concordance with increased TTSS scores.