Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal disease with an unclear pathogenic mechanism. Components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) have a role in the pathogenesis of IPF, specifically, the aspartyl protease renin acts as a profibrotic factor in the lung. However, the concentration of the RAS components renin and soluble (pro)renin receptor (sPRR) have not been previously evaluated neither in serum nor in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) of patients with IPF or chronic Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (cHP), a disease which may be confused with IPF.
Methods: The serum levels of renin [IPF patients (n = 70), cHP patients (n = 83), and controls (n = 26)] and sPRR [IPF (n = 28), cHP (37), and controls (n = 20)] were measured by ELISA. Renin was also quantified in BALs of IPF patients and controls by Western blot.
Results: We found that the levels of renin were higher in serum samples from IPF patients when compared with cHP patients and controls. Furthermore, BALs from IPF patients had more renin than BALs from controls. Unlike renin, the serum levels of sPRR were lower in IPF and cHP patients than in control individuals.
Conclusions: The high levels of renin in sera and BALs of IPF patients suggest that renin might play a major role in the pathogenesis of IPF. Results from BAL confirm that renin is produced locally in the lung. Serum levels of renin could be used to differentiate IPF from cHP.
Keywords: Bronchoalveolar levels of renin; Hypersensitivity pneumonitis; Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Serum levels of renin.