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Decrease in Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme activity but not concentration in plasma/lungs in COVID-19 patients offers
Henry Daniell1, Smruti K Nair1, Yao Shi1
1W. D. Miller Professor & Director of Translational Research, Vice Chair, Department of Basic and Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 240 South 40th Street, 547 Levy Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6030, USA.
Molecular Therapy. Methods & Clinical Development
|July 12, 2022
Summary
Reduced soluble ACE2 activity in COVID-19 patients indicates a potential biomarker for disease severity and recovery. This finding could lead to new diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets for coronavirus disease 2019.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Virology
Background:
- Current COVID-19 treatments lack definitive metabolic markers for assessing disease progression and recovery.
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) utilizes the angiotensin-converting-enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor for cellular entry.
- COVID-19 is linked to dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate soluble ACE2 (sACE2) activity in plasma and saliva of COVID-19 patients.
- To investigate the correlation between sACE2 activity, Ang (1-7) levels, and disease severity.
- To explore ACE2 levels in lung autopsy samples.
Main Methods:
- Assessed sACE2 activity in plasma and saliva from 80 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 27 controls.
- Measured ACE2 and Ang (1-7) levels in plasma and membrane ACE2 (mACE2) in lung autopsy samples.
- Compared sACE2 activity and ACE2 levels between COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 volunteers/controls.
Main Results:
- sACE2 activity was significantly reduced in the plasma of COVID-19 patients compared to controls.
- Reduced sACE2 activity in early hospitalization correlated with disease severity and was restored during recovery.
- sACE2 activity was also substantially lower in the saliva of COVID-19 patients.
- A strong inverse correlation was observed between sACE2 concentration, sACE2 activity, and Ang (1-7) levels.
- No significant difference in membrane ACE2 levels was found in lung autopsy tissues between COVID-19 and other conditions.
Conclusions:
- Soluble ACE2 activity may serve as a potential biomarker for evaluating COVID-19 severity and recovery.
- Targeting sACE2 activity presents a potential therapeutic strategy for managing COVID-19.
- Further research is warranted to validate sACE2 as a clinical tool for disease management and quarantine termination.
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