Low Ang-(1-7) and high des-Arg9 bradykinin serum levels are correlated with cardiovascular risk factors in patients with COVID-19

Farzaneh Rostamzadeh; Hamid Najafipour; Samira Nakhaei; Rostam Yazdani; Ahmad Alinaghi Langari

doi:10.1515/med-2023-0741

Low Ang-(1-7) and high des-Arg9 bradykinin serum levels are correlated with cardiovascular risk factors in patients with COVID-19

Open Med (Wars). 2023 Jul 4;18(1):20230741. doi: 10.1515/med-2023-0741. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Farzaneh Rostamzadeh¹, Hamid Najafipour², Samira Nakhaei³, Rostam Yazdani⁴, Ahmad Alinaghi Langari⁵

Affiliations

¹ Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
² Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
³ Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
⁵ Gastroenterology, and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.

Abstract

It is predictable that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and kinin-kallikrein systems are dysregulated in COVID-19 (COV) patients because SARS-CoV-2 requires ACE2 to cause an infection. This study aimed to assess the serum levels of des-arg(9)-bradykinin (DABK) and angiotensin 1-7 (ang-(1-7)) in patients with COV who had the above-mentioned cardiovascular disease risk factors. In a cross-sectional study, 69 COV patients were selected among patients referred to the main referral center for these patients, in Kerman, Iran, and 73 matched control (non-COV) individuals among individuals who participated in the KERCARD cohort study. Serum levels of DABK and ang-(1-7) were measured by ELISA in the groups of CTL (healthy), HTN, DM, OB, COV, COV + HTN, COV + DM, and COV + OB. Ang-(1-7) levels were lower in the COV + HTN group compared to the HTN group. DABK levels were higher in the COV, HTN, and OB groups and in DM + COV subjects compared to their corresponding control group. The levels of ang-(1-7) and DABK were related to HTN and OB, respectively. According to the findings, we can infer that an increase in DABK production in those with the cardiovascular disease risk factors of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension or a decrease in ang-(1-7) in those with hypertension may contribute to the adverse outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; angiotensin-(1–7); cardiovascular risk factors; des-Arg (9)-bradykinin.