RationaleAngiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (
ACE2 HGNC) is the main entry receptor of severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 MESHD (SARS-CoV-2), but how SARS-CoV-2 interactions with
ACE2 HGNC influences the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in
Coronavirus disease 2019 MESHD (
COVID-19 MESHD) is unknown.
ObjectiveTo measure circulating
ACE2 HGNC and
ACE HGNC levels in
COVID-19 MESHD patients and investigate association with risk factors, outcome and inflammatory markers.
Methods and resultsSoluble
ACE2 HGNC (sACE2) and sACE concentrations were measured by ELISA in plasma samples from 114 hospital-treated
COVID-19 MESHD patients and 10 healthy controls. Follow-up samples after four months were available for 58/114 patients.
Von Willebrand MESHD Von Willebrand HGNC factor (
VWF HGNC), factor VIII (
fVIII HGNC), D-dimer, interleukin 6 (
IL-6 HGNC),
tumor necrosis MESHD factor and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (
PAI-1 HGNC) had previously been determined. Levels of sACE2 were higher in
COVID-19 MESHD patients than in healthy controls, median 5.0 (interquartile range 2.8-11.8) ng/ml versus 1.4 (1.1-1.6) ng/ml, p < 0.0001. sACE2 was higher in men than women, but were not affected by other risk factors for severe
COVID-19 MESHD. sACE 2 decreased to 2.3 (1.6-3.9) ng/ml at follow-up, p < 0.0001, but remained higher than in healthy controls, p=0.012. Follow-up sACE2 levels were higher with increasing age, BMI, total number of comorbidities, for patients with
diabetes MESHD and patients on RAS-inhibition. sACE was marginally lower during
COVID-19 MESHD compared with at follow-up, 57 (45-70) ng/ml versus 72 (52-87) ng/ml, p=0.008. Levels of sACE2 and sACE did not differ depending on survival or disease severity (care level, respiratory support). sACE2 during
COVID-19 MESHD correlated with
VWF HGNC,
fVIII HGNC and D-dimer, while sACE correlated with
IL-6 HGNC,
TNF HGNC and
PAI-1 HGNC.
ConclusionssACE2 was transiently elevated in
COVID-19 MESHD, likely due to increased shedding from infected cells. sACE2 and sACE during
COVID-19 MESHD differed distinctly in their correlations with markers of
inflammation MESHD and endothelial dysfunction, suggesting release from different cell types and/or vascular beds.