Background: The clinical use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARB) in patients with COVID-19 infection remains controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis on the effects of ACEI/ARB on disease symptoms and laboratory tests in hypertensive patients infected with COVID-19 virus and those who did not use ACEI/ARB.
Methods: We systematically searched the relevant literatures from Pubmed, Embase, EuropePMC, CNKI, and other databases during the study period of 31 December 2019 (solstice, 15 March 2020), and analyzed the differences in symptoms and laboratory tests between patients with COVID-19 and hypertension who used ACEI/ARB drugs and those who did not. All statistical analyses were performed with REVMAN5.3.
Results: We included a total of 1808 patients with hypertension diagnosed with COVID-19 in six studies. Analysis results show that ACEI/ARB drugs group D-dimer is lower (SMD = -0.22, 95%CI: -0.36 to -0.06), and the chances of getting fever is lower (OR = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.55 to 0.98). Meanwhile, laboratory data and symptoms were not statistical difference, but creatinine tends to rise (SMD = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.41).
Conclusion: We found that the administration of ACEI/ARB drugs had positive effect on reducing D-dimer and the number of people with fever. Meanwhile it had no significant effect on other laboratory tests (creatinine excepted) or symptoms in patients with COVID-19, while special attention was still needed in patients with renal insufficiency.
Objective: Prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) is both involved in the Kallikrein-Kinin system (KKS) and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). This study aimed to determine the genetic impact of PRCP gene polymorphisms on essential hypertension (EH) in an isolated population from a remote region of China.
Methods: A haplotype-based study was investigated in 346 EH patients and 346 normal subjects and all samples were Hani minority residents in Southwest China. A total of 11 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PRCP gene were tested by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.
Results: Single site analysis found that PRCP gene 3'UTR SNP rs3750931 was associated with EH. The minor allele G of rs3750931 was more prevalent in the EH patients compared to control subjects after Bonferroni correction (p < 0.05). Moreover, the rs3750931 G allele carriers showed higher average blood pressure (BP) level among the subjects. The H2 (GAGCACTAACA) haplotype without rs3750931 G allele showed the protective effect for EH (OR = 0.68, 95 CI 0.54-0.85, p = 0.001).
Conclusion: The present study indicated PRCP gene rs3750931 was associated with the risk of EH. This SNP G allele could be considered as one of risk markers for EH in Hani population.
Objective: The procedure for the captopril challenge test (CCT) in diagnosing primary aldosteronism (PA) is not standardized. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the controversial diagnostic value and influential factors of the post-captopril aldosterone/renin ratio (ARR).
Methods: We searched literature in databases for eligible studies (until October 1, 2020). We extracted information regarding study and patient characteristics, CCT methods, outcome data. We pooled studies using the random-effect model. We performed meta-regression and six pre-specified subgroup analyses to explore heterogeneity.
Results: Nineteen studies involving 4568 subjects were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.825 (95% CI 0.804-0.844) and 0.919 (95% CI 0.908-0.928). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.9487 (95% CI 0.9207-0.9767). Meta-regression revealed that heterogeneity might derive from time interval (p = 0.0117) and study population (p = 0.0033). Subgroup analyses showed significant differences between the subgroups stratified by the dose, posture, study region, time interval, cut-off value and study population for sensitivity and/or specificity (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Post-captopril ARR is comparably valuable for diagnosing PA at cut-offs from 12.0 to 50.0. Conducting the CCT in the supine position with 25 mg of captopril may attain greater sensitivity. Conducting the CCT in the seated position with 50 mg of captopril may attain greater specificity. A 90-min time interval may perform best in both the sensitivity and specificity.
Introduction: Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi) reduce mortality among heart failure (HF) patients, but their effect among those complicating contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) remains unexplored. We aimed to investigate whether the relationship between RASi prescription at discharge and mortality differs between HF patients with or without CI-AKI following coronary angiography (CAG).
Methods: About 596 HF patients from an observational cohort were divided into a CI-AKI group (n = 104) and a non-CI-AKI group (n = 492) based on whether they had CI-AKI following CAG. The endpoint was all-cause mortality. Multivariable Cox regression was performed in each group to explore the associations between RASi at discharge and mortality.
Results: During the median follow-up time of 2.26 (1.70; 3.24) years, higher mortality rate was observed in the CI-AKI group compared to the non-CI-AKI group (18.3% vs 8.9%, p = 0.002). Among HF patients with CI-AKI, after adjusting for confounding factors, the association was not significant between RASi prescription at discharge and mortality (HR: 0.39, 95%CI: 0.12-1.31, p = 0.128), while it was among those without CI-AKI (HR: 0.39, 95%CI: 0.18-0.84, p = 0.016).
Conclusion: RASi prescription at discharge for HF patients complicating CI-AKI tended to be ineffective, while it benefited those without CI-AKI. Further randomized evidence is needed to confirm this trend.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic it has become clear that there is a need for therapies that are capable of reducing damage caused to patients from infections. Infections that induce Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) are especially devastating because lung damage is so critical and difficult to manage. Angiotensin (1-7) [A(1-7)] has already been shown to protect pulmonary health and architecture in various models of disease. There is also evidence that A(1-7) can modulate immune function and protect various organs (lung, kidney, and heart) from oxidative damage and inflammation. Here we focus on making a case for the development of novel therapies that target the protective arm of the Renin Angiotensin System (RAS).
Because of the current COVID-19-pandemic, the world is currently being held hostage in various lockdowns. ACE2 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 cell-entry, and is at the very center of several pathophysiological pathways regarding the RAAS, CS, KKS, T2DM, and IL-6. Their interactions with severe COVID-19 complications (e.g. ARDS and thrombosis), and potential therapeutic targets for pharmacological intervention, will be reviewed.
Objective: The previous studies on angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) genetic polymorphism and glioma risk were inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the association between ACE I/D polymorphisms and glioma risk.
Methods and results: In total, four populations (1110 cases and 1335 controls) on ACE I/D polymorphism were included. Overall, the meta-analysis demonstrated no significant association between ACE I/D polymorphism and glioma risk. In addition, the analysis of the association of ACE I/D polymorphism and clinical grade also showed no significant association.
Conclusion: Our meta-analysis didn't find a significant association between ACE I/D polymorphism glioma risk. However, further studies with larger sample size and more ethnic groups are required to confirm the results.
Objective: To explore the relationship between the polymorphism of angiotensinogen gene (AGT) M235T and susceptibility to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Asian population by meta-analysis.
Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, CNKI, Wan Fang, and other databases were searched to collect the literature about AGT M235T polymorphism and HCM from the inception to March 1, 2020. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) checklist was uesd to perform independent literature review and study quality assessment. Data was analyzed by Stata 15.0 software.
Results: The results showed that, except for the recessive genetic model (TT vs MT+MM: OR = 1.27, 95%CI: 1.05-1.53), in the other four genetic models, the M235T polymorphism had no significant correlation with the risk of HCM (T vs M: OR = 1.17, 95%CI: 0.88-1.57; TT+MT vs MM: OR = 1.13, 95%CI: 0.55-2.33; TT vs MM: OR = 1.25, 95%CI: 0.60-2.59; TM vs MM: OR = 0.95, 95%CI0.5-1.82). The results of subgroup analysis showed that, except for the heterozygous genetic model, in the other four genetic models, M235T polymorphism was significantly associated with sporadic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (SHCM), but not with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHCM) (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: M235T polymorphism in Asians is associated with HCM, especially SHCM. Heterozygotes increase the risk of patients with SHCM.